Class. 
Book. 




G1//20/ 



Copyright }l°.. 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSn; 



1 



/ 




The American: 
ook-of'SpoRT 

BY / 

D.C.tieard 

New York 




U Charles 
Scrlbners 
Sons, r 
1896 







Copyright, i8g6, by 
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 



PREFACE 



Although the present book is addressed to the same 
class of readers, it is neither a substitute for nor a supple- 
ment to " The American Boy's Handy Book," from which 
it will be found to differ in scope and character. " The 
American Boy's Book of Sport " is not intended as an 
enc3^clopasdia of games. The purpose of the book is to 
deal only with subjects whose novelty or practical charac- 
ter meets the especial need of the up-to-date American boy 
who demands explicit and intelligent explanations of what 
is of use to him. 

The many years spent as a member of the Board of 
Education in Flushing, Long Island, and as a teacher of art 
in New York, have impressed upon the author the impor- 
tance of early training for children in the use of their hands. 
It is with the purpose of stimulating this sort of schooling 
that the author appeals to parents and boys to encourage 
the home production of kites, boats, and sleds, etc. ; for 
the ingenuity and self-reliance thus developed are valuable 
qualities in a boy or man. 

Moreover, a lack of the proper sort of play unfits a boy 
for the battle of life, and there is scarce!}^ room to doubt 



vi Preface 

that the most successful men of to-day in business, states- 
manship, art, and science are those willing to undergo and 
capable of enduring the most severe and continued appli- 
cation ; and as this power is dependent upon a robust phy- 
sique and a strong, well-balanced mind, there is no doubt 
that well-directed boyish sport is the best school for the at- 
tainment of such results. 

While this work represents many curb-stone interviews 
with boys, and years of observation and study of the sub- 
jects that have never lost for the writer the interest they 
held for him in his boyhood, it also includes the results of 
many carefully conducted personal interviews with experts 
in the various sports described, and investigations of ob- 
scure legends, written and unwritten, connected with games 
whose origin is older than history itself. 

Golf and foot-ball are at the present time engrossing so 
much of the attention of our American boys that their 
claims have been found too important to be disregarded, 
while in the necessary exclusion of material in making a 
volume of suitable and convenient size, base-ball, tennis, 
and cricket, possessing an extended literature of their own, 
have not been described. 

In many cases subjects heretofore thought worthy of 
little or no attention on the part of authors who write for 
boys, are here treated of at length. It would not be diffi- 
cult, for instance, to fill a library with good books on 
fishing ; 3'et in the numerous boys' books consulted there 
appeared to be nothing modern, American, and practical, 



Preface vii 

or that answered the numerous inquiries the author has 
received from his juvenile friends on the subject of still 
fishing ; and this led him to believe that a popular demand 
for enlightenment on this matter necessitated a chapter 
on bait. 

The novel and interesting developments in kite-making 
and kite-flying that have taken place in the last few years 
merit, and have obtained, extended description. 

The great popularity of " The American Boy's Handy 
Book," and the favor with which its successive editions 
have been received, encourage its author to hope that 
" The American Boy's Book of Sport " will be welcomed 
by all the readers of the first book and will make many new 
friends. 

Flushing, Long Island, N. Y., 
October 15, 1896. 



CONTENTS 



SPRING. 



CHAPTER I. 

PAGE 

Marbles 3 

Marble Time — History of the Game — Sakya-Muni and Humphrey Potter 
— How Marbles are Made — Marble Names, Marble Terms, and Ex- 
pressions — Games from Bull Ring to Long Ring. 



CHAPTER II. 

" Fat " AND Other Famous Games of Marbles ig 

The Uncertainties of " Fat," Sometimes Called " Yank " or " Yankey " — 
Stand-up Marbles — Follerings — Knucks, the Long Ring, and Patter- 
son — The Scientific Bull Ring — Duck in a Hole. 

CHAPTER III. 

Top Time 37 

Whip Tops — Home-made Tops — Peg Tops — Plug in the Ring — Chip 
Stone — Racing Tops. 

CHAPTER IV. 

Latest Things in Kites 46 

For Practical Uses — Steering Kites — Life Savers — Men Lifters and Other 
Novel Forms — Kites as Motive Power — The Malay Variety. 



X Contents 

CHAPTER V. 

PAGE 

Malay and Other Tailless Kites 67 

Some Famous Experiments — How the Malays and Other Oriental 
Kites are Made — Kites in Tandem — Cannibal and Chinese Butterfly 
Kites. 

CHAPTER VI. 

Aerial Fish and Dragons 90 

Paper Dragons or Fish for Kite-strings — A Live Man Kite. 

CHAPTER VII. 

Hoops and Wheels 95 

The Old and the New Fangled Hoops — How to Trundle a Wheel — 
Sport with Tin-Can Covers. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

How TO Make the Sucker 99' 

Leather Suckers and Live .Suckers — Turtle-Fishing with Suckers. 

CHAPTER IX. 

Up in the Air on Stilts 102 

How to Make all Kinds — Stilt-Walking Shepherds — Hand or Arm-Stilts 
are Best for Beginners — Queer Stilts Used in Various Countries. 

CHAPTER X. 

Bait. Live and Dead 115 

Salt-Water Worms that Live on Land — Angle-Worms, Hellgramites, 
Minnows, Crawfish, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Frogs, and " Lampers " — 
How to Catch and How to Keep Them. 

CHAPTER XI. 

Common-Sense Precautions in Fishing 145 

Why and How Fish are Easily Frightened — The Lessons of Nature and 
of Experience. 




Lo7ttents xi 



SUMMER. 



CHAPTER XII. 

PAGE 

Aquatic Sports , 151 

Rowing Clothes — How to Make a Bathing-suit — How to Avoid Sun- 
burn — Points about Canoeing. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The Land-Lubber's Chapter, 156 

Common Nautical Terms and Expressions Defined — How to Sail a Boat 
— Boat Rigs. 

CHAPTER XIV. 

Rigs of All Kinds for Small Boats 176 

How to Distinguish between a Ship, Bark, Brig, and Schooner — Merits 
and Defects of Cat-Boats — Advantages of the Sloop — Rigs for 
Canoes — Buckeyes and Sharpies. 



CHAPTER XV. 

A " Rough and Ready " Boat -. 187 

Just What an Ingenious Boy Must Do to Build It — Detailed In- 
structions as to How to Make the Boat and How to Rig It. 



CHAPTER XVL 
Raft that Will Sail 197 

And a Home-Made Catamaran — The Raft is Just the Thing for Camp 
Life — Pleasurable Occupation for a Camping Party Where -Wood is 
Plentiful — You Will Need Axes and Hatchets and a Few Other 
Civilized Implements. 



xii Contents 



CHAPTER XVII. 

PAGE 

Single Shells and Umbrella Canoes 213 

How Old Shells can be Turned into Boj-s' Boats — The Cause of 
Upsets — Landing from and Embarking in a Shell — What an Umbrella 
Canoe is and How It is Made. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 
Hints for Collectors 222 

How to Capture and Preserve Moths and Butterflies — A New Cabinet. 

CHAPTER XIX. 
Honey-Bee Messengers 234 

How to Send a Cipher Message by the Bee Line — The Key — Bee 
Stings and How to Avoid Them. 

CHAPTER XX. 
A " Zoo." 239 

For the Housetop or the Backyard — How to Build a Coop for Animals 
on the Roof or in the Yard — The Way to Provide Homes for 
Various Kinds of Pets. 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Choosing Up and " It. " 245 

"Which Hand is It in?" — " Pick'er Up, Wipe'er Off, and Stone- 
Holder" — "Last One Over" — Short Straw — Handy, Dandy, Riderly 
Ro — " Whole Fist or Four Fingers " — " Odd or Even ? " — " Wet or 
Dr)' ? " 

CHAPTER XXIT. 

Counting Out Rhymes 252 

How the Game is Played — \'arious Rhymes — An American Version 
of an Ancient Rhyme — Causes sf Variations — Rhymes of Different 
Nationalities. 



Contents xiii 



CHAPTER XXIII. 

PAGE 

In the Water 264 

How to Swim — A Wooden "Swimming Master" — Suspension Bridge — 
Chump's Raft, and Tub Races. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

Games of Tag 279 

Origin of this Sport — King's X — Last Tag — Iron Tag — Cross Tag — 
Old Bloody Tom — Black Man — Prisoner's Base and Other Variations. 



CHAPTER XXV. 
I Spy 304 

With Instructions also How to Play Hunkety and Kick the Wicket. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 
Leap-Frog 310 

Teaching the Game to the Esquimaux — Foot-an'-Half — With P'irst Back 
and a Leader — A Game Requiring Skill — Spanish Fly — The Danger 
of Quarrelling — Dick's Hat-band. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Various Sports for Hot Days 320 

"Jack's Alive!" — Spirit Tortoise and Dead Turtles — Jack and the 
Candles — Bowlder On, or Duck on a Rock — Nine and Ten Pins — 
Skittles, Ancient and Modern. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 
Tip-Cat 332 

How the Cat is Made — English-Cat — Country-Cat — American-Cat — 
A Game Requiring Skill and Quickness. 



xiv Contents 



CHAPTER XXIX. 

PAGE 

Games of Ball 336 

How Town-Ball is Played — One or Two Old-Cat — House-Ball — Hand 
Up — Bailie Callie — Crackabout — Over the Barn — Stool-Ball — Corner- 
Ball— Black Baby— Hat-Ball. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

MuMBLY Peg, Hop-Scotch, and Jack Stones 350 

The Motions of Stick-Knife — Universality of the Game of Hop-Scotch — 
As Played in Different Countries — Different Games with Jack Stones. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Practical Hints for Bicyclists 365 

Regarding Baggage and how to Carry It — A Photographer's Outfit on a 
Wheel — A Collector's Box — How to Deal with Punctures — An Ex- 
temporized Handle Bar — A Rope Tire — A Cleaning Rack, and a 
Bicycle Stand. 



AUTUMN. 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Points on Camping Out. . ^ 377 

How to Make a Fire in the Woods on a Rainy Day — To Get a Light 
Without Matches — The Diamond Hitch, and a Home-made Cinch. 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 
The Boys' Baby Ballista 391 

How to Build this'Warlike Engine, and the Fun that can be had With 
It — Blow-guns and Their Use — Blow-gun Parachutes — The Lariat, 
How to Make and Throw It. 



Contents xv 



CHAPTER XXXIV. 

PAGE 

Tally-Ho " AND Other Cries 407 

The Origin of "Hello" and "Tally-ho" — Indian War-whoops and 
College Yells — Boys' Cries. 



CHAPTER XXXV. 

Indian Games Adapted for Boys 419 

Squaw, Saddle-bags, or Sky Shinny — The Way the Game is Played— 
An Exhilarating Sport — Mandan Ring — A Fine Game for Autumn 
or Winter. 



CHAPTER XXXVI. 



On the Foot-Ball Field. 



The Antiquity of the Game — The General Principles of the Game as It 
is Played by the College Teams at Present. 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 

Golf, Hockey, and Shinny ^2 

How to Lay Out Golf Links and Play the Game— Explanation of the 
Terms Used in the Game— How Hockey and Shinny are Played. 



WINTER. 

CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

Turtle Hunting .., 

455 

Methods of Capturing "Snappers" and Terrapin Described— The Im- 
plements Necessary and Where to Search. 



xvi Contents 



CHAPTER XXXIX. 

PAGE 

On the Ice 460 

Plain and Fancy Skating — Begin to Learn Young — Cutting a Circle — 
The Spread Eagle — The Bull Frog — The Grapevine Garland — The 
Danger of " Follow the Leader." 



CHAPTER XL. 

Stunning Musk-Rats and Fish 470 

Sport for Boys on Skates when the Ice is Thin and Clear — How Cat- 
fish and " Suckers" are Stunned and Captured. 



CHAPTER XLI. 

Snow-Ball Battle and Snow Tag 475 

The Rules of Snow-ball Battle — How Rome and Carthage is Played in 
Cuba — The Ingenious Game of Snow Tag. 



CHAPTER XLII. 

The " Get-There " and Double-Runners 47S 

Instructions as to How to Build these Famous Sleds— A Safety Double- 
Runner. 



0jjrm3 



The American Boy's 
Book of Sport 



CHAPTER I 
MARBLES 

Marble Time — History of the Game — Sakya-Muni and Humphrey Pot- 
ter — How Marbles are Made — Marble Names, Marble Terms, and 
Expressions — Games from Bull Ring to Long Ring. 

Marble Time. 

In the early spring time, while the white frost still jew- 
elled the grass in the mornings and the ground was alter- 
nately frozen at night and thawed by the morning sun, mar- 
ble time used to begin, and on Long Island the custom of 
playing marbles as soon as old winter has taken off his 
coat of snow is still in vogue. 

How my knuckles used to smart where the cold wind 
had chapped them and "knuckling down" had ground the 
mud into the raw places. But, pshaw ! What did I care for 
raw knuckles, as with a pocketful of assorted varieties of 
marbles I watched eagerly for a playmate, and as soon as 
one appeared, shouted, " First for keeps ! " 

In those days I thought that gambling consisted only 
in playing games for money. 

Four hundred years before the first incidents occurred 
that are written of in the New Testament, old Sakya-Muni 



4 Spring 

was dead and buried, but, like John Brown, his spirit keeps 
marching on. 

Sakya-Muni was a great man, but I doubt if any of my 
young readers would like him. Mr. Muni founded a great 
religion, but he was narrow-minded. Boys in those days 
were just like the boys of this day — they were fond of fuii, 
fond of games, and they made little windmills, and they 
enjoyed seeing the wheels buzz in the breeze. 

Old Sakya-Muni thought this sinful and silly. He for- 
got that he was ever a bo}- himself, so he forbade windmills 
as "detrimental to progress in virtue." Sakya-Muni, or 
Gautama Buddha, was an ancient Puritan ; he was down on 
chess or checkers, hop-scotch he abhorred, jack-straws to 
him were the invention of the evil one, ball was a game of 
perdition, drawing pictures, blowing horns, racing, archery, 
and marbles, were equally bad and forbidden sins. 

There are man}^ estimable, narrow-minded, half-devel- 
oped people of to-day who think just as Buddha did so 
long ago, but fortunately for the j^oung people no one now 
takes them seriously. 

Sak3^a-Muni had no intention or desire to be of assistance 
to the author of this book. No doubt if the old pagan 
were alive he would forbid its publication, but nevertheless 
he is introduced to the reader because his denunciations 
of these games prove that the youngsters of his day 
found entertainment in the same games that occupy the 
leisure of the school-boys at the close of the nineteenth 
century. 

Not many years ago there was a bo}^ named Humphrey 
Potter, who, sad to relate, in spite of Mr. Muni's harangue 
against games, would rather play marbles than work; but 
he was a poor boy, and he would rather work than see 
his parents deprived of the comforts that his little earnings 



Marbles 

could procure. Humphrey was only a boy ; he did not 
know anything. Not one of the great men who had in- 
vented the awkward, puffing old steam-engines that were 
used in those days would have condescended to consult 
Hump in regard to his invention. 

The poor little chap had to sit all day on a stick of wood 
for a stool, and, with one hand on the steam-cock and the 
other on the water-cock, alternately turn on steam and 
water. When he turned on the steam this vapor rushed 
into the cylinder and forced a heavy piston up ; when he 
turned on the water, that fluid rushed in, cooled off or con- 
densed the steam and down came the piston. So that with- 
out a boy at the steam and water cocks this great invention 
of full-grown men would not work. 

But Hump had a better head than these men, and the 
lad wanted to play marbles. So down went his hand into 
that junk-shop which every boy has, but which he calls his 
pocket, and out came a piece of string — most likely it was 
a top-string — and Hump harnessed up the piston to the 
valves. 

It was as simple as falling off a log. The piston opened 
and shut the valves itself, and Humphrey played marbles 
and drew his pay at the same time. 

Simple as falling off a log, but like many things it was 
too simple for a man to think of, and yet simple as it was 
Humphrey Potter's invention lifted the steam-engine from 
the plane of a clumsy machine chiefly used for pumping 
purposes to the higher field where its uses are so manifold 
as scarcely to be numbered, and Humphrey was only a boy 
and an inveterate marble-player at that. 

Boys, when you hear the thunder of the railroad train, 
the hum of the factory wheels, or the whistle of the big 
steam-boats, rattle the marbles in your pockets, and say, 



Spriii 



" Well, if it were not for one of us, where would all your 
wonderful inventions be, 3-ou great, big, bald-headed, 
bearded boys that build your cities without leaving us 
room for a Bull Ring?" 

Terms Used in the Game. 

Before going any farther, I might as well give the mean- 
ings of the principal terms used in marbles — the phrases 
which mean so much to boys and so little to those who are 
unfamiliar with them. 

The Taw or Shooter, is the marble used for shooting. 

The Taw Line or Tie Line, or Scratch, as it is often 
called, is the line drawn for a starting-point in games like 
the Long Ring. 

Ducks are the marbles to be shot at. 

Dubs* means that you take all the marbles knocked out 
of the ring by one shot. 

Fen Dubsf means that you must put back all but one 
marble. 

Lofting means shooting through the air. When you loft 
you knuckle down and your taw goes through the air and 
does not strike the ground until it hits the duck aimed at, 
or a spot near it. 

Knuckling down means what the name implies, resting 
the knuckles on the ground during the act of shooting. 

Hunching means shoving your hand over the mark as 
you shoot. Hunching is unfair, and if a good shot is made 
and the player making it is caught in the act of hunching 
he should be made to shoot over again and shoot fair. 

Histing is holding the hand some distance above the 
ground. Histing is not allowable in the Bull Ring or in 
Meg-on-a-String. 



* An abbreviation of doubles. t An abbreviation of defend doubles. 



Marbles 7 

Roundsters means taking a new position on one side or 
the other of some obstruction. This is not fair in Bull 
Ring. 

Sidings means to move your taw from one side to the 
other in a straight line when about to shoot, and is not 
allowable in Bull Ring. 

Burying is the term applied to the act of placing your 
taw in a good spot and then forcing it into the ground with 
the heel of your shoe. Burying is sometimes allowed in all 
games of marbles, but only by unskilled players ; with the 
others " Fen buryings " is the unwritten rule of the game. 

Laying in is similar to burying, with the exception that 
your taw is left on top of the ground. This is also a "baby" 
game and not often resorted to. " Laying in " also means 
placing the marbles in the ring. 

Clearances means removing stones, sticks, or other ob- 
jects between your taw and the ducks. 

Sneaking is the act of shooting for a position. 

Babying is shooting with little force, so as not to knock 
the ducks far or to cause your taw to fly far. Babying is 
not of much use in large rings, but is often resorted to in 
small rings and in such games as Follerings. There is no 
rule that can make you stop babying, so the other players 
always try ridicule. This never succeeds to any extent, 
though it eases the minds of the unsuccessful players when 
another boy is " skinning " the ring by babying. 

Playing for Keeps is a game in which all the ducks won 
are kept. Playing for Fair is an Eastern term with the same 
meaning, and for Fun means of course that all the marbles 
are returned to their original owners when the game is 
over. 



8 



Spring 



The Right Spirit. 

It is not necessary to gamble with marbles, as many sup- 
pose, and in fact there is little doubt that the game was first 
played "for keeps" centuries ago when pebbles were used 
for marbles and the pebbles won were only valued as tro- 
phies or counters. In reality a marble won is a point won 
in the game, and it is not necessary to keep the marbles after 
the game is over, any more than it is necessary to keep the 
balls and bats of the defeated base-ball players or the balls and 
rackets of the defeated lawn-tennis players or the foot-bal) 
of the defeated foot-ball players. What the American boy 
plays for is to win the game, not the implements of the sport. 
It is only the occasional " tough " who manages to get 
into the game who has the real instincts of the gambler, and 
he is the boy who always cries "grinder," and "snatches 
up " or " swipes " the marbles of smaller or moi'e timid lads. 
Such a boy should be avoided just as respectable men avoid 
the gambler and black-leg. 

Knuckle Dabsters. 

Every boy who plays marbles should possess a knuckle 
dabster ; these can be made from bits of soft woollen cloth, 





Fig. I. — A Quilted " Knuckle Dabster. 



Fig. 2.— Mole Skin " Knuckle Dabster." 



felt, or the skin of small animals. Mole skins make the soft- 
est and prettiest of knuckle dabsters, but any piece of fur 
will answer. Some boys wear them fastened to the hand, 



Marbles 



but the most expert players seem to prefer to throw them 
down at the spot from which they are about to shoot and 
then knuckle down on the soft fur or woollen cloth. 

A knuckle dabster prevents one's knuckles from becom- 
ing sore and raw, and adds greatly to the comfort of the 
player. 

Your sister, mother, aunt, or grandmother can in a few 
moments stitch two pieces of 
thick, soft cloth together for you 
when marble time arrives, and if 
they will add to this favor by 
making you Fig- 3— Mar- 

^ J ble Bag. 

A Marble Bag 

with strings to draw the mouth 

together, you are ready for the 

season. The marble bag should 

be small enough to slip into your 

pocket, where it will prevent the 

loss of many marbles that might 

work their way through that hole that is always to be 

found in a boy's pocket after he has worn his clothes for 

a short time. 

I remember how I used to plan leather and buckskin 
pockets that would not wear out, and I made up my mind 
that when I was old enough to make money and buy my 
own clothes the tailor should be instructed to put in leather 
pockets. 

Alas! when I reached that age it took so much cash to 
buy the clothes that there was never enough in the pockets 
to wear them out. 



Fig. 4. — Same 
with Strings 
Drawn. 




lo spying 



Whom to Play Marbles With. 

If Little Lord Fauntleroy had been born in a Western 
town his life would not have been worth living. He was a 
gentle little " sissy " aristocrat, who would never have been 
tolerated by the " Huck" Finns and Tom Sawyers inhabit- 
ing the valleys of the Mississippi and its tributaries. 

Imagine, if you can, such a little chap wearing the 
clothes with which Mr. Birch, in his beautiful illustrations, 
so appropriately dressed him ; imagine him down on one 
knee, with his girlish hand chapped with the wind and the 
cracks, filled with grime, knuckling down and lofting on the 
ducks in the middle of a bull ring, or with doubled fists 
standing over his marbles, defending his property against 
some young highwayman from the rolling mill on the river 
bank ! 

As the New York bo)'s would say, " He wouldn't be in 
it." No, the house is the place for him. This is a rough 
world, and it requires experiences outside of a gentle, lov- 
ing mother's care or the sweet lad)^-like tuition of a gov- 
erness to fit a lad for the battle of life. 

What we want for a pla3'mate is a fair and square fellow, 
who will stand by a friend through thick and thin, and, 
without being quarrelsome, defend his rights and never 
" weaken." It is unnecessary to say that such a lad's love 
of justice will always prevent him from imposing upon 
smaller boys and his manliness will cause him to treat his 
companion and the girls with courtes3^ You need not 
watch him in any game, for he will not cheat. Among my 
old schoolmates I have known many such fellows, and, to a 
man, they are all good fellows now ; good citizens, good 
fathers, and they still enjoy watching the boys play the 
games in which they used to excel themselves. 



Marbles 1 1 



How Marbles Were First Made. 

With the aid of frost and sun nature splits the rocks, 
dropping the fragments into the water, and the ever mov- 
ing water rolls the fragments over each other and against 
other stones until they become smooth pebbles, many of 
which are almost as round as the marbles sold in stores. 
Away back before history was written the children used 
these natural marbles to play with, but there is nothing to 
tell us whether they used a " long ring " or a " bull ring," 
or what rules governed the game. 

When the Tammany Halls of Rome and the citizens in 
general became wicked and corrupt it made nature very ill, 
and she broke out in volcanoes. While the terrible fires 
from the bowels of the earth were spouting and scattering 
their ashes and lava over towns and cities, Pompeii was 
buried with all its streets and houses and with some of its 
people and dogs. Among the many curious things found 
in the ruins by the antiquarians who have unearthed the old 
cities were — what? Marbles left by the boys in their flight 
from the doomed city, and, I think, if the truth were 
known, some of the little rascals delayed their departure 
long enough to secure and carry away with them their 
" megs," as the New York boys would call the ancient mar- 
bles. 

Marbles in America. 

One hundred and twenty-eight years after Columbus 
discovered America, and when many of the ancestors of 
this generation of boys could call themselves Americans, 
the Dutchmen imported marbles to England, and it is very 
probable the old Knickerbockers introduced them here, but 
it matters little who had the honor of introducingf them to 



1 2 Spring 

America. They came to stay, and now, from California to 
Maine, and from the Calumet and Hecla mines at Red 
Jacket, Mich,, to New Orleans, the boys all play marbles. 

Made Abroad Nowadays. 

Where do they all come from ?. Some of you win them, 
some of you trade postage-stamps for them, but some per- 
son bought them, probably, at the little store around the 
corner. 

When I attended the Eighth Street District School in 
Cincinnati we used to replenish our stock from " Ma- 
laney's." I do not recollect the real name of the proprie- 
tor of the little store, but that is the name it went by among 
the boys. There we bought our butterscotch and bull's- 
eye candy ; our match-sticks for kites, our elastic bands for 
slings, our tops and top-strings. 

Local Names of Marbles. 

But Malaney must have secured his supply from some- 
where, because I know he did not make them himself, and 
he always had a quantity on hand of "potteries," "plas- 
ters," "chinas," "crystals," "agates," " alleys," and "com- 
mies." 

Atlantic coast boys do not use these names, but they use 
the same marbles. We had a tradition that the potteries 
were made at a pottery near the Brighton Hotel in the 
suburbs of Cincinnati. What truth, if any, there is in this 
tradition I am unable to state. In New York I seldom see 
this rich brown mottled marble, whose glossy surface is 
marked by three rough dots. 

The " crockery " never had the splashes of white that 
distinguished the " burned agate " of New York, nor the 
green of the " moss agate" of the same place. Both of the 



Marbles 13 

latter were unknown to the Western bo3^s twenty-five years 
ago. 

At the beginning of this century marbles were some- 
times called "bowls," and all came from Nuremberg, down 
the Rhine to Rotterdam, and thence to all other parts of 
Europe. 

How Marbles are Made. 

They are now manufactured in immense quantities in 
Saxony for exportation to the United States, India, and 
China. The common marble is manufactured of hard stone 
quarried near Coburg, Saxon}^, and the process is prac- 
tically the same as that used by nature in grinding out the 
little round pebbles originally used by the children of long 
ago. 

Nature, though constantly busy, is slow. We do not 
want to wait a thousand or ma3^be a million years for her to 
get our marbles ready. Our fingers might be too old to 
shoot with them, so we adopt nature's principles, but make 
more haste. In place of frost man uses a hammer to break 
the stone into fragments. 

The hammer breaks the hard stone into small squares, 
or, more properly, cubical shaped blocks. These are placed 
on a large millstone one hundred or two hundred at a time. 
The millstone has several grooves cut in it in the form of 
rings, one ring inside another, or, as your Geometry would 
put it, in the form of concentric circles. Over this a block 
of oak of the same size as the lower stone rests on the small 
square fragments and is kept turning while water flows 
upon the bottom stone. 

Power is supplied by a water-wheel, and when the 
machiner)^ is set in motion the little cubes are compelled, 
by the pressure and motion of the upper piece, to roll over 
and over in their circular tracks, and round and round and 



1 4 Spring 

round they travel like circus horses in a ring. In fifteen 
minutes' time the mill does what nature takes years to 
accomplish, and the little blocks of stone are turned into 
small stone balls. These are the unfinished marbles and 
need smoothing. 

One such mill can turn out two thousand marbles a 
week, and if there are four or five sets of millstones running, 
eight thousand or ten thousand a week can be manufactured. 

In another part of the establishment the water-wheel turns 
a number of wooden barrel-shaped receptacles, something 
like the copper ones used for making candy in this country. 
Inside the wooden casks are hard stone cylinders. These 
revolving cylinders smooth the marbles, which are com- 
pelled by the motion of the machinery to keep up a con- 
stant rubbing against each other and against the stone 
cylinder. When they are smooth enough the dust made 
by the last process is emptied from the casks and fine 
emery powder substituted. This gives finish and polish to 
the marble. 

Common Marbles. 

The small, gray marbles are what the Western bo3^s 
call "commies" or "combos." They are often painted 
bright colors, but the paint soon wears off and they look 
like little dried clay balls. They are not much valued, 
and five " commies " usually represent the value of one 
" plaster." 

The Century Dictionary gives an " alley " as one of 
the definitions of a marble. On what ground it bases 
this information I am unable to state. " Agate," " meg," 
"duck" or "real" would be just as good a definition. 
" Meg " or " duck " would be better, inasmuch as, in dif- 
ferent sections of the country, both of these terms are 



Marbles 15 

used to define marbles of an}^ description; while "alley" 
in almost all parts of the country means a particular kind 
of marble. 

The Alley. 

In some parts of Ohio and Kentucky the marble desig^- 
nated by the latter name is a small, hard sphere with a 
yellowish - white ground, streaked with wavy lines of 
bluish green. These are not the same as the " Croton 
alley "or "Jasper" of New York. 'The latter, I believe, 
are made of glazed and unglazed china marbled with blue, 
and are generally larger marbles than the so-called alleys of 
the West. 

The China and Plaster. 

In Cincinnati and the adjoining cities of Covington 
and Newport, Ky., a china is what its name implies — china. 
This term, when I was a boy, was used only to designate 
a glazed china ; the unglazed ones we called plasters, from 
their resemblance to that substance. 

Both of the latter marbles are decorated with lines of 
various colors, sometimes crossing each other, forming 
plaids, and again arranged in circles and called bull's e3^es. 
They are made in wooden molds and are dried, baked, and 
painted like any other chinaware. 

The Bumbo and Peawee. 

" Bumbo," " bumboozer" or" bowler " are names applied 
to very large marbles of any description. A " peawee " is 
the name used for any very small marble. 

Crystals 

is a general name applied in many parts of the country to all 
glass marbles, including "opals," "glimmers," "bloods," 
" rubies," etc. They are all very beautiful, but their beauty 



i6 



Spring 



is only skin deep, and when used much they become dull 
and full of nicks. Some of these glass marbles are called 
" agates " in the East, and hence the genuine agate is 
called a " real," to distinguish it from the counterfeit glass 
one. Glass marbles are made by melting the glass and 
pressing the hot substance in polished metal molds, the 
halves of which fit so neatly that no trace of a seam or 
line is visible on the glass to mark where the parts of the 
mold join. 

The " Lucky Taw." 

Our lucky taw, or the marble we used when a skilful 
shot was required, was carefully selected for its weight and 
symmetry, and was generallj' an agate or real. Agates are 
beautiful gems of agate or carnelian, varying in color from 
a smoky gray to a blood red, or variegated with mottlings 
or stripes of different colors. Agates are made into mar-, 
bles at Oberstein. The workmen are very skilful. The 
stone is first broken into fragments of the proper size, and 
then, by means of a hammer, clipped into rude balls; these 
balls are then worn down on the face of a 
large grindstone, and are managed with 
great dexterity by the workmen, who in 
a few minutes bring them into perfect 
spheres, after which they are polished by 
hand on lapidary wheels. 

Cunny Thumb or Scrumpy Knuckled. 

If Little Lord Fauntleroy played mar-, 
bles, any boy could tell you how he would 
shoot. He would hold his hand verti- 
cally, place his taw or shooter against his 
thumb-nail and his first finger. He would shoot " cunny 
thumb style," or " scrumpy knuckled." The thumb would 




Fig. 5. — " Cunny 
Thumb." 



Marbles 



17 



flip out weakly (Fig. 5), and the marble would roll on its 
way. 

Tom Sawyer would lay the back of his fist on the 
ground or on his mole-skin " knuckle dabster," hold his taw 
between the first and second joints 
of the second finger and the first 
joint of the thumb, the three small- 
er fingers closed and the first finger 
partially 'open (Fig. 6). From this 
animated ballista the marble would 
shoot through the air for four or five feet, alighting on one 
of the ducks in the middle of the ring, sending it flying 
outside, while the taw would spin in the spot vacated by 
the duck. Tom or Huck Finn would display as much 
skill with his taw as an expert billiard player would with 
the ivory balls. 




Fig. 6.— As Tom Would Shoot. 





Fig. 7. — Western Reserve and New York. Fig. 8. — Another and Better Style. 



A Southern Way. 

Down in Dixie I have frequently seen grown men, white 
and black, playing marbles, and one or two of the expert 
players held their taw on their second finger, holding the 
second finger back with their thumb ; then suddenly re- 
moving the thumb and straightening out the finger, they 
sent the marble, like a bullet, straight to the mark. This 
manner of shooting must require much practice, and I 
doubt if it is more accurate than the one just described as 
Tom's method. Some boys, skilful in the game, squeeze 



1 8 Spring 

the marble they shoot with between the thumb and the 
forefinger, wetting it with their mouth to make it slip 
quickly. 

The Arabian Way of Shooting. 

The dark-faced little Arabs have a curious manner of 
shooting. They place their taw in the hollow between the 
middle and the forefinger of the left hand, the hand being 
flat on the ground with the fingers closed. The forefinger 
of the right hand is then pressed firmly on the end joint of 
the middle finger, which pushes the middle finger suddenly 
aside, and the forefinger slips out with sufficient force to 
propel the shooter very accurately. 

There are innumerable games of marbles in vogue in 
different sections of the country. I have watched the boj-s 
play in every State east of the Mississippi River, and be- 
tween the Gulf of Mexico and the Great Northern Lakes. 
and will describe the most popular games. 



CHAPTER II 

"FAT" AND OTHER FAMOUS GAMES OF MAR- 
BLES. 

The Uncertainties of " Fat," Sometimes Called " Yank " or " Yankey " 
— Stand-up Marbles — Follerings— Knucks, the Long Ring, and Pat- 
terson — The Scientific Bull Ring— Duck in a Hole. 

Fat. 

Make a ring that will measure a foot and a half or two 
feet across the centre. Then draw a straight line through 
the centre from top to bottom, and another straight line 
from right to left at right angles to the first through the 
centre of the ring, thus dividing it into quarters (Fig. 9). 

Each playej lays in a duck, that is, puts a marble in the 
ring. Where only two play, place one duck on the right 
and the other on the left hand side of the ring. If four 
boys play, place a marble at the end of each cross line, and 
if more boys are in the game put the marbles around the 
ring, one for each player. 

Beginning the Game. 

About ten feet away from the ring scratch a taw or tie 
line to shoot from. Here the first player places his knuckle 
dabster, knuckles down and shoots at the marbles. If he is 
a good marksman and knocks a marble out of the ring he 
shoots again from the spot where his taw or shooter rests 



20 



Spring 



and so continues to shoot until he makes a miss, pocketing 
all the ducks he knocks out. When he has failed to hit and 

knock out a marble, his turn 
is over and he must allow 
his shooter to lie where it 
rolled. 



Number Two's Play. 




TAW LINE. 



Fig. 9.— Fat Ring. 



Number two now takes his 
turn. Knuckling down at the 
taw line, he shoots as number 
one did, or if number one's 
taw is within range, he shoots 
at that, and if he is fortunate 
or skilful enough to hit num- 
ber one's taw, then number 
one must hand over to num- 
ber two all the ducks he (num- 
ber one) has knocked out of 
the ring. If number two's 
luck still continues and he is 
able to hit number one's taw 
again, then number one is 
considered " killed," that is, 
he must put his taw in his 
pocket and quit playing until 
another game is started. 

When number two misses, 
number three knuckles down 
at the taw line and shoots at 
the ducks in the ring, or at his 



opponent's taw, if that marble is within range. 



''Fat'' and Other Famous Games 21 



" Killing." 

When only two boys are playing if one " kills " the other, 
of course the killer wins the game, and more ducks are laid 
in and a new game started. The first man killed is the last 
to shoot in the next game, and the second man killed is next 
to the last to shoot, etc. In some sections of the country 
when three bo37S are playing the -third boy is required al- 
ways to shoot his taw across the ring, whether he shoots at 
the other taws or at the ducks. 

The Uncertainties of "Yank." 
It will not take a beginner in this game long to learn 
that his safety lies in keeping his own taw as far as possible 
away from his neighbors', and when he shoots in their direc- 
tion he will shoot hard. One player may secure all the 
ducks but one and then miss, and the next player by strik- 
ing the first's taw compel him to turn over to him all the 
ducks he has knocked out. 

It does not require much wit to see that there is more to 
be gained by shooting at your neighbor's taw if the neigh- 
bor has been lucky than there is shooting at the one lone 
duck in the ring. 

It sometimes takes good players a half, three quarters, or 
a full hour to finish one game. Often two or three unlucky 
players will combine against a lucky one and peg away at 
the lucky one's taw until he is compelled to give up the 
ducks he has knocked out. Another way to play this game 
is to make the player whose taw is hit replace in the ring all 
the marbles he has previously succeeded in knocking out. 

Stand-up Marbles. 

There is no skill required in this game, and the only ex- 
cuse for its existence is that the rapid growth of our big 
cities has had the effect of so covering the boys' play-grounds 



22 Spring 

with buildings and other obstructions that the boys are 
compelled to adopt such games as they can play under the 
existing conditions. So "Stand-up Megs" has become 
popular in many places. 

Make a two-foot ring about six inches from a convenient 
house or fence. Use a " bum boozer " for a taw and stand 
at the taw line about six feet from the ring. Hold up your 
taw and take aim with your right eye, and shoot by hunch- 
ing at the marbles in the ring. If you miss, pick up your 
big taw and let the next boy shoot. If any one knocks one 
or more ducks out, he continues to shoot until he fails. 
Each boy takes his turn until all the ducks are knocked out 
of the ring. Another way to play the game is to make a 
hole in the ground and place a duck for each player in the 
hole, then standing at the taw mark the players with their 
"bowlers" or " bumboozers " shoot as already described. 
If a player's taw or shooter fails to knock out any megs and 
remains in the hole, then he must put in as many ducks 
as " are up " before he is allowed to remove his taw. 

" Follerings," or Followings, 

is a travelling game, generally played by the boys on 
their way to school, or often, I am afraid, when they are 
sent on errands by their mothers. Although this game is 
a travelling game it is unnecessary to say that it does not 
lend haste to the traveller. In fact, it must be acknowl- 
edged that more speed can be made by a boy on an errand 
if he omits to play the game on his way. 

The rules of " Follering " are simple. " First " shoots 
his marble in the direction he wants to travel, and " Second" 
shoots his marble at the " First's " taw. Thus they shoot 
each in turn until one boy is lucky enough to hit his oppo- 
nent's taw. That means a duck for the fortunate one, or 



" Fat " and Other Famotts Games 23 



else a point in the game and another shot at his opponent's 
marble. He continues to shoot until he misses, and so the 
game goes on. 

"Everything," and "Fen everything!" are the cries in 
this game. If one player before he shoots cries " Every- 
thing " before his opponent can cry " Fen everything," 
then the shooter may " hist," that- is, as already explained, 
hold his marble up and shoot, or he may remove a brick, 
can, old shoe, or whatever object accident may place be- 
tween him and his opponent's marble, or he may take 
" roundsters," going one side or the other of any object that 
may be in the way. But he cannot go any nearer the 
other boy's marble than his first position. If, however, 
the other player cries " Fen everything ! " first, then 
the shooter must knuckle down and make the best of it. 

The Art of Babying. 

If one player hits his opponent's taw and knocks it into 
a gully, a hole, or the gutter and his own taw does not fly 
far away, he shouts " Everything ! " if possible before the 
other player can say " Fen," and then he commences a series 
of soft, easy shots, each of which counts just the same as a 
long, difficult one. With care a good shot can baby away 
until his opponent shouts himself hoarse with cries of " Fen 
babying ! Fen everything ! Fen histing ! Fen roundsters ! 
Knuckle down." To all these cries the player pays no at- 
tention, but continues to shoot until he carelessly makes 
a miss. Then the other player has his revenge and babies 
away, to the great discomfort of his opponent. 

Follerings starts where the two lads meet and lasts 
until the school-house or some other objective point is 
reached. It can be played almost anywhere, and is quite 
exciting enough to meet the approval of most boys. 



24 



spring 



Knucks. 

This is a game of give and take. One boy, called 
"knucks," places a small marble between his knuckles and 
rests his hand on the ground. The other player knuckles 
down at the taw line four or five feet away and shoots at 
the marble between the fingers of his playmate. It is cus- 
tomary to knuckle down and loft, or shoot through the air, 
and not bowl along the ground. The taw marble or 
shooter used is of medium size. Every time the marble in 
" knucks' " hand is hit it counts one ; every time " knucks' " 




Fig. to. — A Game of Knucks. 



knuckles are hit it gives " knucks " a shot at the first 
shooter. 

Suppose that it is agreed that each player should have 
three shots, and there are two in the game. Number one 
shoots three times, hits the marble once, and the knuckles 
twice. Then number one wins one count, and number two, 
who has been " knucks," takes his three shots, and two 
shots to pay for the two raps he had on his knuckles. 
That makes five shots he has at number one. 

Unless number two is an expert he is going to hit 
number one's knuckles a number of times in his five shots, 
but number one grins and bears it, as he knows that the 
rules of the game will give him satisfaction. There is no 



" Fat " and Other Famous Gaines 



25 



end to this game, and it only stops when both boys agree 
that their knuckles demand a rest. 

If one boy is a good player and the other a poor one 
the good player wins the most points, but the bad player 
makes the other's knuckles suffer for their skill. 




The Long Ring. 

About eight feet beyond the taw line, 
make a ring composed of two parts of a 
circle crossing each other at the ends (Fig. 
1 1), a fish-shaped ring with its head toward 
taw line. Draw a straight line through 
the centre of the long ring to lay the mar- 
bles on. If only two boys are playing and 
each lays in a duck, one marble should be 
at each end of the ring. If more than two 
play, or if more than one duck apiece is 
laid in, then they should be placed along 
the line in the centre of the ring. 

When number one shoots, if there are 
only two marbles he generally " sneaks," 
that is, he bowls, as some call it, or shoots 
his marble with just sufficient force to 
cause his taw to roll slowly along and come 
to a rest as near as possible one of the 
marbles in the ring. 

In doing this number one runs the risk 
of being killed by number two, whose turn 
it now is to shoot, and if there are only 
two in the game, and number two kills 
number one, this gives the game to num- 
ber two, but if there are more in the game it puts number 
one out, and number two has another shot at the ducks in 



Fig. II. — The Long 
Ring. 



26 spring 

the ring, and continues to shoot until he misses. Then 
number three shoots, or if number one is not dead, and only 
two are playing, number one shoots from the spot where 
his taw lies. 

Any player can sneak whenever he thinks he dare risk 
it. Of course a sneak is a shot and he must run the chance 
of being killed ; but if he is killed he can, when his turn 
comes around, lay in as many ducks as he did at first, and 
then placing another duck near the taw line, knuckle down 
and shoot, hittinsr the near duck on one side so as to cause 
his taw or shooter to fly down toward the ring. It often 
happens that in this way he can make up for what points he 
lost by being killed. If he makes a miss he leaves his taw 
where it rests, and the next player takes his turn. 

Patterson. 

This game is played like " Fat," previously described, 
and often goes by that name, but in place of the round ring 
used in real Fat the Patterson boys use the taw line and the 
oblong or fish-shaped ring of the Long Ring game. The 
principal difference between Long Ring and Patterson is 
that you must hit your opponent's taw twice to kill him, and 
he cannot come to life again by laying in when his turn 
comes and shooting at a duck near the taw line. The first 
time you hit his taw you win all the points he may have 
made, the second time you strike his taw you put him out 
of the game and there is one less to fight against; hence 
there is not much sneaking in Patterson. 

Gambling Games. 

" Sports" among boys may frequently be seen trying to 
entice otlier boys to pay a stated number of marbles a shot 
at a notched and numbered shingle. The " sport " holds the 



''Fat'' and Other Famous Games 2*] 

shingle with his hand and rests the edge with the notches in 
it on the ground, while the player shoots from taw at the 
notch with the biggest number. He seldom goes through, 
but if he succeeds, the " sport " pays him back as many 
marbles as are designated by the number over the notch his 
marble went through. This is a great game for cheating ; 
a slight movement of the shingle from one side to the other 
will make the best shot miss, and, like all gambling games, 
create ill feeling, and frequently the game is only decided 
by the fists of the players. 

The Bull Ring. 

One of the really scientific games is the old-fashioned Bull 
Ring, which is from four to ten feet in diameter. The 
ducks are placed a few inches apart on a cross scratched in 
the middle of the ring. The number of ducks varies ac- 
cording to how many " a whack," or how many " up " or to 
"lay in" may be agreed upon. If four or five boys are in 
the game, " one up " makes a nice pot of ducks to shoot at. 

If but tv/o boys are playing they sometimes lay in three, 
four, or even more ducks apiece, according to their wealth. 
The boy who cries " First " soonest is accorded the first 
shot, and the others in their order. In case of dispute they 
" lag " for turn. Each player knuckles down and shoots for 
the opposite side of the ring, and their turns come in the 
order of their success ; the nearest first and the most dis- 
tant last. 

Of course the object of the game is to knock out all the 
ducks if possible. Sometimes the first player, by a combi- 
nation of luck and skill, will " skin the ring " before the 
others have had a shot. The first player knuckles down 
and lofts at the ducks in the middle of the ring. If he 
strikes one properly, his taw should stand or spin in place of 



28 



spring 



the fleeing duck. The duck must reach or pass the line that 
makes the ring to be out and pocketed by the player, who 
now shoots from the place where his taw stands. 

Sometimes his shooter will fly out of the ring, but if the 
duck is knocked out he continues to shoot, again knuckling 
down on the ring. In case he misses one shot, number 
two takes his turn. Whenever a slip is made or a hit fails 
to knock the duck from the rins: and the shooter comes to 




Fig. 12. — A Game in a Bull Ring. 



rest inside the bull ring, it must remain where it is until the 
player's turn comes again or until the shooter is knocked 
out by one of the other players. If the shooter or taw in 
the ring is knocked out by another player's taw, the owner 
of the latter is out of the game, or killed, and there is one 
less to fight against. The player who knocks the taw out 
not only has another shot, but is entitled to pick one of the 
ducks from the ring as a reward for his luck. He continues 
to shoot until he misses. 

In case two or more ducks are knocked out at one shot, 
if the player succeeds in crying " Dubs ! " before the others 



" Fat " and Other Famous Games 29 

cry " J"en dubs ! " he is entitled to all he knocks out, other- 
wise he must replace all but one marble, but continue to 
shoot until he fails to knock out a duck. If a player is 
caught " hunching," that is, shoving his fist beyond the ring 
while shooting, and makes a lucky hit, he must replace the 
marble and shoot over again. " Histings " and the use of 
" bowlers " are debarred in the bull ring. 

Sneaking or Dribbling. 

Sneaking is allowed ; that is, shooting the taw slowly, 
so that it will stop in or near the centre. This counts as a 
turn, and the marble is allowed to rest there until the sneak- 
er's turn comes round again, in which case, if he has not 
been killed by some other player, he shoots from the spot 
occupied by his taw. 

If a dead man's turn comes around and there are enough 
ducks in the ring to warrant the risk, the dead man may 
re-enter by laying in the middle twice as many ducks as the 
game required at first and placing still another duck near 
the edge of the ring to carom on. He shoots at the carom 
duck with the hopes of knocking it out and flying in the 
centre, where, if he is " any good " he will " skin the ring." 
Often the dead man is unsuccessful and the game goes on. 

Duck-in-a-Hole. 

This game is played with three shallow holes in a line at 
right angles with a taw line which should be about ten feet 
distant from the first hole. The holes are three feet apart. 
The object of each player is to shoot his marble so that it 
will go in and remain in the first hole. If successful in this 
he is allowed to place his thumb on the edge of the first 
hole, and using his hand as a pair of dividers, by a twist of 



30 Spring 

the wrist he describes, that is, traces with the ends of his fin- 
gers, a curved line on the ground. 

This is called taking a span, and the player then knuckles 
down on the span line and shoots for the second hole. Tak- 
ing another span he shoots for the third, and if successful 
he now takes a span back toward the middle hole and shoots 
for that. If he again succeeds he takes a span and shoots 
for the first hole, and if he fails not in this he is a " duck " 
and can take two spans from the spot where his marble 
lies every time he shoots. When he has gone forward and 
backward twice he is allowed three spans, and when he has 
gone backward and forward three times he is a " King 
Duck " and can take four spans. 

If the first player misses the first hole, player number 
two shoots. If number two's marble rolls in the first hole 
and stays there he looks around for the first player's taw, 
and when he discovers it, if he feels certain he can hit it,' 
he takes a span, knuckles down and cracks away at number 
one's taw. If he hits it he places his own marble in the sec- 
ond hole and proceeds to try for the next until he misses. 
Then the next player tries his luck. 

When number one's turn comes around again he shoots 
for the first hole, knuckling down on the spot to which 
number two knocked his (number one's) taw. 

King Duck. 

Each player strives to be King Duck first. Each time 
one player hits another player's taw the lucky player 
counts one point, and the one hit loses a point. 

When one pla3^er is King Duck it is hard on the others, 
because as soon as they miss a hole he is on them. For his 
four spans from the nearest hole will almost always bring 
him within short shooting distance of any marble that has 



" Fat " and Other Faniotts Games 31 

missed a hole, and when he hits that marble he generally 
manages to hit it hard enough to send it flying. 

By the time three boys have won the title of King Duck 
the game is over. At the advent of .the second King Duck 
the first monarch divides with him and gives him one of 
the end holes to command, and he keeps the other two. 
When the third man is King the first King assigns him the 
remaining end hole and retains command of the middle 
hole, but by this time the boys are ready to stop for a rest. 
Each time a player hits a marble it counts one point, and 
the game may be for ten points or ten thousand points. 

Meg-in-a-Hole 

differs from the preceding game of Duck-in-a-Hole, first, 
in the fact that there is no taw line. The first player 
shoots from one end hole at the middle hole. After he suc- 
ceeds in shooting into the middle hole he is entitled to a 
span, but he has no more than a span until he is King, 
having gone backward and forward three times. 

The King can take one foot (his own foot for a measure) 
and a span from the first hole, two feet and a span from the 
second hole, and three feet and a span from the third hole 
before shooting at any other player's marble that has made 
a miss. 

This gives the King great power, and it is hard to 
escape him. It often happens that the King knocks the 
other marbles fifteen or more feet away from their holes, 
and it is no easy matter for the unfortunate player to ap- 
proach the holes again. 

If a second player wins the title of King, the first King 
assigns him the first hole to guard, because there is less 
shooting for it, for the players only go in it three times, 
while they go six times in the middle hole. The third hole 



32 spring 

is next best to the middle, or, as I heard one boy put it, 
*' next worse to the first hole." If a player misses it and a 
King is loafing around, the player does not stand much 
chance of getting near it again. When all have become 
Kings the game is over. 

Meg-on-a-String. 

This is a game of skill, and at this day finds little favor. 
The boys seem to prefer the less skilful and ruder games, 
such as Stand-up marbles, a game I notice the lads playing 
under the lamp-posts after dark ; and so primitive has the 
sport become in the great cities, that in place of the beautiful 
agate for a taw these boys use stones, which they hold up to 
one eye, then pitch at a group of shamefaced marbles hud- 
dled together in a hole in the ground. 

But Meg-on-a-String requires a higher sort of skill to 
play, and the successful player must be a good shot at fair 
knuckling-down shooting. 

In a crack in a friendly fence a small stick is so thrust 
that its free end is about three feet outside the fence line. 
From near the end of the stick threads are hung about 
three inches apart, and on the ends of the threads are 
small lumps of shoemaker's wax. By pressing the wax 
against a small alley, commie, crystal, china, plaster, or 
agate, the marbles will adhere and swing from the ends of 
the threads. The latter should be so adjusted that the 
marbles clear the ground by an inch or two. 

There is no ring in this game, but a taw line is scratched 
about four feet from the meg stick, and a marble for each 
player hangs from the stick. It is all knuckling down and 
lofting in this game, and the swinging marbles are kept in 
motion, it being against the rules for any boy to shoot at 
a stationary duck. He is only allowed to wait until the 



" Fat " and Other Famous Games 33 

marbles cease to strike against each other, then he must 
shoot. 

When the first player misses, the second player shoots. 
If the first player's taw is within reach he may shoot at 
that, and if he hits it then the owner of the unlucky taw 
is dead and out of the game, and the boy who killed him 
has another shot at the swinging marbles, or if there are 
only two players, he wins the game. 

What Counts. 

To make a successful hit it is deemed necessary to 
knock the swinging duck off the string, otherwise the 
shot does not count. When a player's taw is too near the 
fence he can cry " Sidings," and move to one side far 
enough to enable him to shoot with comfort. But if the 
other boys cry " Fen Sidings " before he cries " Sidings," 
then the player must make the best of his ill luck and 
shoot. It is allowable to sneak, that is, to shoot with so 
little force that your taw will only roll to the spot near the 
swinging marbles and rest there, but a sneaker always 
runs the risk of being killed and put out of the game by 
the next in turn. 

" Dubs " and " Fen dubs," " Sidings " and " Fen sidings " 
are all the cries in this game, because the rules of the 
game are " Fen histings," " Fen clearances," " Fen, fen every- 
thing," except sidings and dubs, and it is even fen to these 
if a player shouts the word in time. 

The reader can readily see that no bad shot at marbles 
need try this game with any hope of success, but to the 
real sportsmen among the boys the game will be popular. 
Old players try to get a position flanking the swinging 
ducks, as this position has a double advantage. First, if 
the player misses the first marble, he is liable to hit one of 
3 



34 Spring 

the others, and second, as it is necessary to loft and shoot 
hard in order to knock a marble off the string, if he misses 
his taw he strikes against the fence and bounds back to 
practically the same position he shot from, in place of 
hurtling off ten or twelve feet, or away or back over the 
taw line. 

For over two thousand )^ears boys have been playing 
marbles, and have developed some really scientific games, 
which much older people might play without loss of 
dignity. But since the game is confined practically to the 
youngsters, it behooves them to see to it that the noble and 
ancient games of marbles are not degraded into shingle 
gambling boards and pitch rock. 

Injun, Block, or Square Ring. 

After reading over the preceding description of mar- 
ble games to a young Brooklyn friend of mine, he exclaimed, 
" Well ! You have left out Block, We play Block in Brook- 
lyn." 

Now it is not the intention of the author to slight Brook- 
lyn in this book, and a game that they can play there must 
be adapted to any large city. Block is played with a square 
ring, if we may be allowed to call a square a ring, and the 
ring is quartered as it is in Fat, a game to which Block is 
akin. As in Fat, the marbles are laid in on the intersections 
of the cross lines, but the taw line is about thirty feet away. 

This game is sometimes called Injun, a corruption of Ind- 
ian, probably because the game is a game of extermina- 
tion. For, in order to win, you must kill all the other 
players. Hence, you can see that "First" plays at a disad- 
vantage, there being no one for him to kill ; if he knocks 
out a duck he must replace it. If a taw stops inside the 
ring, that is a fatal shot, for he has killed himself and is out 



" Fat " and Other Famous Games 



35 



<r — 

(» , 

i\ 



of the game. So when the 
first player shoots he does not 
knuckle down, but toes the taw 
line and tosses his taw for a 
good position near the ring. 

For good and sufficient 
reasons the second player has 
no desire to get near the first, 
so he throws his marble with 
sufficient force to send it 
through the ring out of reach 
of First, hoping that his taw 
may be fortunate enough to 
knock out a duck on its way. 
Because if number two knocks 
out a duck, he can, before re- 
placing the duck, go back to 
taw and holding the duck in 
his left hand shoot his taw 
with his right so that it will 
strike on the top or side of the 
duck and fly off near First's 
taw, which he may then hit 
and kill. 

If number two misses the 
duck, number three pitches his 
marble off to one side, and 
thus the game goes on, each 
boy doing his best to guard 
his own taw and to hit and kill 
his neighbor's taw, knocking 
out ducks when the opportunity comes for the sake of 
the privilege of going back to taw and making a flying 



Fig. 13. — The Block or Square Ring. 



36 



Spring 




shot from the duck to the neighborhood of his playmate's 

marble. 

At the end of the game the same number of ducks of 

course remain in the ring 
that were placed there. If 
any player misses the duck 
that he is trying to make 
a fly shot on he loses his 
turn, and has the mortifi- 
cation of seeing his taw 
roll dangerously near an 
opponent, where he must 
allow it to remain and run 
the chance of being killed. 
When all but one are killed 
the survivor is " Big In- 
jun " and has won the 
game. A similar game is 
played in other places with 
the moon ring (Fig. 14). ' 
There are numerous 
other games played in the 
cities which are the out- 
growth of the cramped 
spaces the boys have for 
play-grounds, but as they 

differ in different cities and also in different parts of .the 

same city and are only modifications of the games given 

here, they will be omitted. 



TAW LINE. 



Fig. 14. — The Moon Ring. 




Fig. 15. — Top Time in the City. A Game of Plug in the Ring on the Housetop. 



CHAPTER III 



TOP TIME 

Whip Tops — Home-made Tops — Peg Tops — Plug in the Ring— Chip 
Stone — Racing Tops. 

There is no doubt about it — boys are the most con- 
servative people in the world. Nations have been born, 
grown great, and died, leaving only mouldering ruins to tell 
of their former grandeur, but when those nations were 
young, boys were whipping tops, and to-day boys are be- 
laboring their tops with a lash of soiled rags with as much 
vigor and enthusiasm as if the latter were newly discovered 
toys. 

In fact the boys are more enthusiastic than they would 
be over a new toy. No game or toy is considered re- 
spectable unless its ancestry is lost in the murky atmos- 



38 spring 

phere that covers the pre-historic past. Ever since I can 
remember each season has brought forth some novelty in 
tops, but the whip-top and the peg-top still hold their own 
and the novelties are lost and forgotten. 

In the house, an American boy will occasionally conde- 
scend to spin a musical top or a whistling or humming top 
to amuse his little sister, but he never thinks of taking 
such toys on the play-ground or in the street to spin before 
his comrades and school-fellows. 

With all these facts before me I dare not propose a 
new style of top or suggest a new game, because both 
would go to the land of useless t03^s, a land grown-up 
men spend time and labor to supply with toys which boys 
will not use and games which boys will not play. I say a 
land for lack of a better name. No one knows what 
becomes of all the wonderful inventions for boys that boys 
do not want unless they go to a place where very bad 
boys go who are compelled to play these new-fangled 
games and spin these wonderful tops as a punishment for 
sins committed in this glorious world, where good boys 
have the old reliable peg-top and its even more ancient 
brother, the whip-top. 

Home-made Tops. 

As for home-made tops, those made of a spool are the 
favorites, and are usually made to spin by a tw^ist of the 
finger and thumb. To make one it is only necessary to 
whittle a stick to a diameter a trifle greater than the hole 
in the spool, and hammer it in so that a part of the stick 
wall protrude at both ends. Then whittle off one of the 
flanges of the spool, and bring the stick at that end to a 
point for a peg. Cut off all but about an inch of the stick 
from the other end, and your spool top is finished. 



Top Time 



39 



A boy that I had in mj studio made a top with an old 
tin blacking-box and some lead pipe, which he melted and 
poured into the mould. When it was cool he had a flat 
leaden disk. But first he took a wooden spool, and cut off 
one flange and whittled the end to a blunt point. Next he 
cut a hole in the blacking-box, so that the spool could be 
forced in, and made to stick there. 



Figs. i6, 17 and 18. 



Figs. 19 and 20. 



Figs. 21 and 22. 




Construction of Home-made Tops. 

Figs. 16, 17, 18, 19, and 22 show construction of slack-rope dancing top ; x and y, 
Figs. 20 and 21, show parts of top with double peg. Fig. 22 is a top with a solid 
peg for spinning on the table. 

I asked him what sort of top he was making, and he 
replied, " A slack-rope dancer." 

This proved to be the case, for he made a peg for 
the top with a notch in one end, and he spun the top for 
me on a string for a slack rope. Figs. 16, 17, 18, and 19 
show the construction of this ingenious toy. 

Afterward he made another somewhat similar top with 
a movable stick and fixed peg, spun it, removed the stick, 
and inserted pieces of bent wire, which, when the latter 



40 Spring 

were whirled around, looked like glass goblets, vases, and 
various other objects. 

The materials are cheap, and the labor light, in making 
this top. Try it ! 

Plug in the Ring. 

The " plugger " is the top you spin, the " bait '* is the 
top or tops you try to strike with your " plugger." 

A top is "asleep " when it stands perfectly erect and ap- 
parently motionless while spinning. A " gigler " is a top 
that goes dancing and hopping about. " A dead top " is 
one that has ceased to spin ; all bait tops are necessarily 
dead tops. 

Boys use as much care in selecting their pegger or 
plugger as they do in choosing their taw or shooter in 
marbles. Some prefer a rather long spindle top, others a 
short, heavy boxwood plugger. All tops should have screw 
pegs, for these are rarely driven up through the top so as 
to split them. Besides, the screw top is not so apt to drop 
out as the common ringed peg. 

Get a Good String. 

As a rule, I think, the string sold for top string in New 
York is too light. A cord half as thick again gives better 
results. 

Select for a string a rather heavy cotton cord, about a 
yard long. At one end fasten a wooden button mould, or, 
better still, an old bone button. About an inch and a half 
from the other end tie a hard knot in the string and allow 
the end to fray out below the knot (see Figure 23). Wet 
the end of the string and plaster it diagonally up the side 
of the top. Then wind tightly until the string covers the 
bottom nearly to the top of the top, leaving enough string 



Top Time 



41 



to wrap around the hand. Slip the string between the first 
and second fingers, so that the button fits on the outside of 
the hand ; then wind the slack around the hand until the 
top fits tightly, Math the big 
end grasped by the first fin- 
ger bending over it. The 
peg should rest on the 
outside of the thumb be- 
tween the first and second 
joints. 

To spin the top, raise 
your hand above and back 
of your head (see second 
boy, Fig. 15) ; bring it down 
forcibly and throw the top 
six or eight feet in front of 
you (see third boy, Fig. 15). 
Don't jerk back. If you 
have made a proper throw 
the top will spin " for all it 
is worth." 

Now for the game : Mark out a bull ring about six feet 
in diameter and in the centre mark a smaller ring about a 
foot in diameter. Put as many tops in the centre as there 
are players, and toss up for first shot or decide your turns 
in any manner you may agree upon. Many boys play with- 
out turns, each spinning his top as soon as he can wind it. 

The first player winds up his plugger with care and 
grasps it firmly in his hand, then with his left toe on the out- 
side ring he tries to hit the tops in the centre. If he misses 
and fails to spin, or if he strikes outside of the centre circle, 
he must put another top in the middle and await his next 
turn. If he strikes the tops with the big end of his plugger 




Fig. 23. — Winding a Top. 



42 spring 

it counts a miss, and all he knocks out must be replaced ; 
but if the peg of his plugger strikes a top and sends it out 
of the little centre ring he pockets the bait top and spins 
or plugs again. 

If his plugger strikes in the small ring and spins there, 
and by knocking against the tops knocks them out, it is 
called a hit — he wins the tops knocked out and has another 
turn. A good player will sometimes spin his plugger in 
the small ring and fail to knock out any tops. In this case 
the player must allow his top to stop spinning before he 
touches it, and if, when it tires out, or " dies," as the boys 
call it, it fails to roll out of the ring, he must place another 
top in the centre. 

A Great Honor. 

Good players will often split one of the tops in the middle 
ring by the force and accuracy with which their plugger's 
peg strikes the " bait." This is considered a great honor, 
but, of course, it ruins the bait top. 

You cannot play Plug in the Ring until you learn to 
hold and throw a top as described above. The baby man- 
ner of spinning by jerking back the string is never ac- 
curate and has not enough force to split a pea. Neither 
must you hold your top like a girl, with the greater part 
under the forefinger and the peg sticking into the ball of 
the thumb. 

I have frequently seen this game played " for keeps," 
but the bait was composed of toothless, battered wrecks of 
tops that had no other value than as trophies of victory. 
The proper game is to use the bait you win as marks or 
scores, and after the game is finished return them to their 
proper owners. The object of the game is not to win tops, 
but to derive pleasure from a test of skill. 



Top Time 43 



Chip stone. 

In the gravel-pit or somewhere along the river, creek, 
lake, or sea-shore may be found disk-shaped stones called 
"skippers" or "sailors," because the boys can make them 
sail through the air or skip over the surface of the water. 
These stones are used for counters in the game of Chip 
Stone. The pure white or semi-transparent skippers, about 
the size of an old-fashioned copper cent, are the kind se- 
lected. 

A bull ring about live feet in diameter is made on the 
ground, or two taw lines about five feet apart are drawn on 
the sidewalk, and each boy, as in marbles, " lays in " a 
counter. If the game is on the sidewalk the skippers are 
placed in a row between the two taw lines. If in a bull 
ring the stones are placed in a small circle in the centre of 
the ring. 

In turn each player spins his top and plugs at the 
skippers in the ring or between the taw lines ; if his top 
fails to spin he " laj'-s in " another skipper. 

If his top " dies," that is, stops spinning inside the ring, 
he " lays in" another stone. But if his top spins as it 
should he takes it up on a little wooden shovel and drops 
it so that the peg hits the edge of a counter ; he con- 
tinues to scoop up and drop the top so long as it will 
spin, or until it has knocked a counter over the taw line 
or outside the ring, in which case, as in marbles, he has 
another turn. 

Chip Stone is really a game of marbles in which sailors 
or skippers are used for ducks and tops are used for taws. 
Of course each boy takes great pride in his collection of 
trophies, each of which he considers as a medal won by 
his superior skill as a top spinner. No clumsy, awkward 



44 



Spri7ig 



top spinner can hope to have many sailors in his pocket 
unless he hunts them in the gravel-pit in place of com- 
peting for them at the bull ring or between the taw lines. 

Fig. 24 shows the wooden shovel or spoon which each 
player should make for himself with his own pocket-knife. 
Sweet smelling red cedar is the choice wood, but almost 
any other kind will answer. 

Whip-Tops — Eel-skin Whips the Best. 

As a rule bo3^s use old rags for their whips. These soon 
become very much soiled and look untid}^ but the real 




Fig. 24. — The Wooden Chip Stone Shovel. 

sportsman, be he man or boy, takes great pride in his 
guns, fish-rods, skates, golf-sticks, or top-whips ; and such 
boys prefer for a top-whip an eel-skin fastened to a short 
wooden handle. 

Country boys catch their own eels, city boys get the 
skins at the fish market. 

A whip-top can be made of any sort of wood, and in place 
of a peg a brass hollow-headed furniture-tack is driven 
into the point where the peg of an ordinary top is located. 



Top Time 45 



To Spin the Top. 

Put your whip under your left arm and take the top in 
your right hand, and grasping it with your thumb and 
second finger give it a smart twirl. If this is skilfully 
done the top will spin long enough for you to grasp the 
handle of your eel-skin whip and give it a lash, striking 
outward and drawing the whip toward you at the end 
of the stroke. 

Fighting Tops. 

At the word " Go ! " two boys spin their tops and then 
thrash the poor things until they bump together. The top 
that knocks its opponent out of the bull ring in which they 
are spun is the King Top. It is considered a foul for one 
boy to strike his opponent's top with his whip or in any way 
interfere with it except by guiding his own top in the path 
of the other. A top that stops spinning is beaten, not with 
the whip, but by the other top that keeps alive. 

Racing Tops. 

Two taw lines are drawn on the hard ground or side- 
walk, and at the word " Go! " all the boys in the game spin 
their tops and belabor them with might and main, endeav- 
oring at the same time to compel them to travel over the 
space between the taw lines before their opponents can 
cover the distance. It requires no little skill to drive a 
successful race. 

Whipping tops, like most of the favorite games of boys, 
is a very old sport. The little boys in Old Testament times 
played the game just as you are playing it now. West of 
the Allegheny Mountains the whip-top is not as often seen 
as in the neighborhood of New York City. 




Fig. 25. — Kite Time. 

Though marble time can't always last, 
Though time for spinning tops is past, 
The winds of March blow kite time here, 
And April fools' day, too, draws near. 



CHAPTER IV 



LATEST THINGS IN KITES 



For Practical Uses — Steering Kites — Life Savers — Men Lifters and 
Other Novel Forms — Kites as Motive Power — The Malay Variety, 

Kite time begins with March, or used to when the writer 
was a boy, in Cincinnati. Even the blustering March wind 
must be weaker in the Ohio River Vallej^ than here on the 
coast. If some one had imported an ordinar}' New York 
kite into Ohio and shown it to the boys there they would 
have told him to go and get a shingle and it would fly 
better, but now the author must modify his judgment and 
admit that the heavy sticks and apparently careless pasting 



Latest Things in Kites 



47 



on the Atlantic-coast kites are necessary to give them 
strength to brave the gales fr-om off the ocean. In place of 
the twine used in New York we flew our kites with cotton 
thread, and it was only an extra large kite that required 
white cotton string. The dainty tissue-paper covered kite, 
with its framework of delicate match sticks that is used in 
the interior of our country, would be wrecked by the first 
blast of the boisterous March wind on the coast. 

Grave professors and men of dry scientific minds often 
take to boys' sports in a heavy, ponderous fashion, and try 
to demonstrate some pet theory of their own by means of 
the boys' playthings. Old Ben Franklin did not think it 
beneath his dignity to fly a kite. Had Benjamin consulted 
the modern Ameri- 
can boy he would 
have been told not 
to use the European 
bow kite, but to take 
the coffin-shaped or 
American hexagon- 
al kite for his experi- 
ment, or one of the 
tailless kites that 
have lately become 
so popular with 
grown-up scientific 
kite flyers. 

Kites for Practical 
Uses. 

The eng'ineers ^'*^- 2^- — The inevitable Bow Kite. Sticks are Rep- 

^ , resented by Thick Lines. Strings are Represented 

who constructed the by Thin Lines. Where the Paper is Folded and 

r- , 1 . T Pasted the Edees are Represented by Dotted 

nrst bridge across Lines. 





48 



Spring 



Niagara River did not refuse to accept as a means of com- 
munication between the shores a line placed there by a kite. 
Sixty years ago an Englishman by the name of Ward sug- 
srested the use of a kite as a means of establishing commu- 
nication between vessels wrecked upon the off-l^ang rocks 
of a lee shore and the mainland. Being an Englishman, he 
selected, of course, the inevitable bow kite (Fig. 26), with 
its tail festooned with bunches of paper in the manner 
made respectable by ages of use. 

I give his method because it may be of use to boys in 
accomplishing some other object, such as stretching a home- 
made telephone line across the intervening space between 

two big apartment houses, 
or across a river or lake in 
the country, or for a thou- 
sand other purposes dear to 
a boy. 

The Pulley and Weight 
Kite. 

Mr. Ward's method of 
using a kite as a means of 
suspending and conveying 
a line ashore is as follows : 

At a short distance be- 
low the kite's bellyband, 
attach to the kite-string a 
loop and suspend from the 
loop a pulley light enough 
in weight not to impede the 
flight of the Weight and 
Kite. Over this pulley pass a second string and fas- 
weight to the end, the other end of the string being 




Fig. 27. — The Pulley and Weight Kite. 

Pulley 
ten the 



Latest Things in Kites 49 

aboard the ship. When the kite has sailed through the 
storm until it floats over the -land, no more line is given out, 
and the kite becomes a stationary point, from which the 
weight attached to the end of the line is allowed to drop, 
and thus form a communication between the ship and the 
shore. In an experiment made by the inventor, the kite 
was found to fly best with the weight hung at least ten 
yards below the kite. (See Fig. 27.) 

In 1893 the New York underwriters took to flying im- 
mense star kites covered with oil-cloth. These kites had 
two bellybands and two strings to guide or steer the kites 
by, and tails of jute, with a life buoys attached. 

The two-stringed star kite is an invention of Professor 
J. Woodbridge Davis of New York. (See Fig. 29.) 

Steering Kites. 

Seven years ago the professor began to experiment in 
flying kites, and being displeased with the stationary posi- 
tion ordinarily assumed by them, and not satisfied with the 
wig-waggle of the short-tailed or the darting of the light- 
tailed variety, which imparts so much excitement to the 
young novice, he added two bellybands and two strings, by 
means of which after a little practice he was able to steer 
his kite around the sky and make it perform all manner of 
queer and absurd antics, to the great delight of the small 
boys. 

It is said that the professor became so proficient with 
his kite that he could make it cut out letters in the sky, 
dance and dive, and do other marvellous things. He also 
found that he could make it go off the wind many degrees. 
In speaking of what he could now make the kite do, he 
said it would not sail upon the wind as the Vigilant and 
Valkyrie did, but it could make some very remarkable tacks. 
4 



50 



Spring 



Driving a Kite Attached to a Wagon. 

A couple of his pupils last summer took a carriage ride 
on the shore of Long Island, in the vicinity of Arverne, 
and the nag they drove was a star-shaped kite, seven feet 
in diameter. 

These two young men conceived the idea of propelling 
a wagon by means of one of these kites. They arranged 
a four-wheeled vehicle with a platform, placing a seat in the 




Fig. 28. — Wagon Attached to Kite. Fig. 29. — The Double Belly-Banded Kite. 

rear, in front of which is a long box wherein to place one's 
feet, so that the weight can be as low as possible. The 
arrangement allows one plenty of room to manipulate 
the cord of each windlass by means of a crank and a brake. 
The other passenger sits on a little more elevated seat near 
the front, where he can work a sort of brake, the shaft of 
which is connected with a simple device for steering the 
front wheels. The wheels are all the same size, three feet 
four inches, and are strongly made. The tray is four feet 
eight inches. 



Latest Things in Kites 51 



A favorable breeze sent up the kite, and soon the wagon 
was following the new motor along the beach. By being 
able to steer the kite to right or left they were enabled to 
follow the line of the shore. 

If any of the readers of this book are ambitious to make 
an experiment, they had better try a small hand wagon 
with a much smaller kite for motive power (Fig. 28). 
Kites will pull a wagon, as has been demonstrated many 
times, and if the kite can be steered then the greatest diffi- 
culty is overcome. 

Why not Use a Sled? 

Attached to a sled in winter time such a kite would 
afford royal sport, and something entirely new. There 
are many places where a sled could be used on the smooth 
snow or ice that would be impracticable for any kind of a 
wagon. 

Keeled Buoys Towed by Kites near New York City. 

Boys! Keep your eyes on Bayonne, New Jersey. 
There appears to be a nest of inveterate kite-fliers there. 
First we hear of one thing and then of another in the 
kite line, and each time some man from Bayonne is mixed 
up in it, or at least he is at one end of the line. 

Lately Mr. Eddy has been experimenting with Professor 
J. Woodbridge Davis's keeled kite buoy. The buoy here 
referred to is a float, not a boy, as the old song has it : 

" Meaning a buoy for the ship what sails, 
And not a boy of the juvenile males." 

The kites used in the experiment were from the 
"stables" of Mr. Eddy. The five-foot tailless kite that 
Commodore Vermilye and Mr. Eddy first sent up on this 



52 spring 

occasion had a perforated centre, which allowed some of 
the wind to escape through the hole or holes in the kite, and 
made it less liable to pull hard suddenly, when struck by 
a squall or wind puff. In other words, the perforation 
answered for, and was the kite's safety-valve. 

The First Experiment- 

The buoy was sent out from the Port Richmond side, 
while the kites went up from the Bergen Point side, for 
the reason that the wind was southerl}^ southwesterl}^ and 
westerly, often carrying the kites inland, beyond the 
Bergen Point shore. 

The keel buoy was put in a rowboat and rowed to Port 
Richmond. A six-foot kite was flying, attached to about 
four hundred feet of cord which was fastened to the buoy 
in the boat rowed by John A. Weaver, with Mr. Eddy 
holding the kite cord. 

The buoy was dropped overboard and cut loose at 
4.20 P.M., the wind having shifted to westerly, and al- 
though the kite pulled eastward, the buoy moved north- 
ward, the adjustment being such that the buoy tacked 
under the side pull like a yacht. Its speed was very 
unequal, owing to the irregular pull of the kite, but the 
buoy reached the marsh above the Port Johnson coal docks 
at 4.29, making the distance of a mile in nine minutes. Mr, 
Weaver rowed for the Port Richmond side at 4.35, Mr. 
Eddy holding the string, the kite maintaining its position 
as long as the boat moved westward against the wind. 
But when Port Richmond was reached the westerly wind 
died out and dropped the kite into the water at 4.45 P.M. 

The kite was recovered, but the experiment was 
abandoned because a fog settled over the water, the wind 
completely reversing and suddenly setting in from the 



Latest Things in Kites 53 



east. Much was learned of the management of kites on 
the water in calms. There are indications that the buoy 
can tack against the wind when the kite pull is adjusted at 
different angles. 

Of what interest is all this to the boys? Of great 
interest ; on account of the weather the most satisfactory 
results were not obtained, but enough was learned to sug- 
gest the possibilities of a new sport to the boys, that of 
using 

Kites for Sails for Small Boats. 

Probably ever since kites were invented boys have 
attempted to use them for motive power, to make their 
boats go with no other sail than the one soaring in the 
sky, and no mast but the slender line leading from the boat 
to the kite. 

In almost every attempt the boys have been partially 
successful, but as the boats could only go before the wind 
and follow the kites, the direction of their course had to 
depend entirely upon the whims of the weather clerk, and 
kite-sailing never became a sport. But the late experiments 
with towing-fioats and the invention of the double belly- 
band has opened new possibilities for the future of kite-fliers. 

The advantage of the star kite for sailing purposes is 
first in its strength which the three sticks give it. Since 
all these sticks cross in the centre it makes a kite of prac- 
tically six sticks, and the sticks on each side supply a good 
strong support for the two belly-bands. 

For sailing purposes build your kite about three and 
one-half feet in diameter, cover it with good Manilla paper, 
and treat your paper with a coating of hot parafifine to 
make it water-proof. Use a paint brush and put the paraf- 
fine on as if you were painting the paper. Mr. Woglom's 



54 Spring 

storm kites are of paper covered with paraffine, and he has 
flown them when it rained so hard that he was wet to the 
skin, but the kites did not suffer. When kite-sailing there 
is always the chance of your sail-kite falling into the water, 
and if your sail is not water-proof your fun is over for at 
least that day. 

Kites for Swimming. 

As the writer grows older he becomes more and more 
modest in his claims for originality. For it has often 
happened that his brightest and most treasured original 
ideas are found upon investigation to be claimed also by 
some one who lived long ago. 

A kite for swimming is one of those ideas, and the 
writer really thought it a brand new one. But, alas! he has 
discovered that that rare old American, Ben Franklin, has 
a prior claim which, since Ben lived first, the author can- 
not dispute. But Ben only floated on his back and allowed 
the kite to tow him, and you can at least improve upon Mr. 
Franklin's idea by using a plank for a float, which will 
allow you to see where you are going, and a double belly- 
banded kite that you can guide in the direction you wish 
to go. All who have tried this sport pronounce it delight- 
ful, and it will be preferred by many to kite-sailing. Of 
course the kite-swimmer must be careful not to hitch his 
kite to his float, or if he does to guard both float and kite, 
for his steed will run away upon the first opportunity and 
never stop running until the wind fails or some obstruction 
is met. 

There are only a few days in which all these kite sports 
can be enjoyed in some of the inland parts of the country, 
but in other sections there is seldom a day the year 'round 
that there is not wind enough and to spare. 



Latest Things m Kites 



SS 



The Belly-bands. 

The way to make a star kite is fully described in the 
"American Boy's Handy Book," and it is not our intention 
to duplicate anything there described. But the two belly- 
band steering apparatus is something new and prop- 
erly belongs here. The 
star kite has three sticks 
of equal length, which 
cross each other in the 
centre ; they are strung so 
that when the ends of the 
sticks are equal distances 
apart they form a six- 
pointed star, thus, and the 
belly-bands may be fast- 
ened at equal distances 
from the centre, one each 
side, to the sticks in this 
manner shown by Fig. 30. 
The tail -band, of course, 
is simply a loop fastened 
to the sticks at the bot- 
tom so that it will hang 
below the kite. It is taken for granted that the reader 
knows that the bellj^-band of all kites is on the paper side 
of the kite and not on the same side as the sticks. In the 
latter case the wind would tear the covering off the kite at 
once. 

"Kite Broken Loose!" 

That was the cry that used to send a thrill through every 
youngster and start them all on a hot race after the fugitive 




Fig. 30.— The Star Kite. 



56 spring 

kite. Twenty or thirty years ago the rirnaway kite always 
became the property of the one who iirst captured it. 
Such was the unquestioned though unwritten law among 
the boys, and it appears from the items that occasionally 
appear in the papers that to this day there is a strong ten- 
dency on the part of the boys, and even men, to adhere 
strictly to this old law. 

One of Mr. Eddy's tandem teams of kites broke away 
and the kite-string slid over the neck of a man working on 
a coal-barge. The coal-heaver, upon putting up his hands 
to investigate the cause of the tickling of his neck, to his 
great astonishment found himself holding a team of fun- 
ny tailless kites, which were bobbing around in the sky. 
When Mr. Eddy demanded his runaways he had consider- 
able difficulty in persuading the man to give up the prize. 

A Team of Eight Kites Loose. 

In July, 1894, the same gentleman lost a team of eight 
kites which he was fiying at Bayonne. One kite caught in 
a tree and the rest broke away and sailed over the Kill von 
Kull. Then the bottom kite struck the ground, and again 
the upper ones broke away, leaving their unfortunate com- 
rade. The six remaining kites went scudding over Staten 
Island until the dangling string caught on a telegraph 
wire and brought the six runaways up standing. Mr. Eddy 
had to journey by train and boat before he could cover the 
distance travelled by the fugitives and effect their capture. 

A Runaway's Experience. 

The writer once saw a kite pull the stick the twine was 
fastened to from the hands of a boy who was perched 
upon the roof of a tenement-house. The building was near 
the East River on the New York side, a good wind was 



Latest Things in Kites 57 

blowing and the kite lifted the stick over the intervening 
house-tops until it dangled over the water. Here the lack 
of resistance caused the kite to settle, and down came the 
stick into the water. The water offered sufficient resist- 
ance to the stick to send the runaway kite up again, and 
the stick was towed diagonally across the river until it 
reached the Brooklyn side, where the string became en- 
tangled in the rigging of a ship that was being loaded with 
sugar. When last seen the runaway tenement-house kite 
was bravely flying from the ship. 

Kite at Boothbay Tows a Plank. 

While spending summer at Ocean Point, near Boothbay, 
Me., the author sent up an ordinary Japanese hawk kite 
and attached the string to a nail in a piece of plank which 
was placed in the ocean. The plank presented resistance 
enough to keep the kite aloft, and it sailed away past 
Squirrel Island, Pumpkin Rock, and out to sea. 

Two days afterward when the mackerel fleet came into 
port, the writer learned that the crew of one of the smacks 
had been surprised to find a kite floating from a line en- 
tangled in the rigging of the main-mast. Where it came 
from was a mystery, until the skipper and the writer 
chanced to meet while the latter was making a drawing of 
the mackerel fishers. 

Some one in New Jersey once sent a kite out to sea at- 
tached to a float, and it was picked up on the coast of Vir- 
ginia. 

Notes to Neptune. 

Boys who live near the lake-side or sea-shore, or those 
who visit these places for their vacation, can send messages 
out to sea whenever the wind is " off shore," that is, blow- 
ing from the shore toward the sea. 



58 Spring 

Address the note to Mr, Neptune, Atlantic Ocean or 
Pacific Ocean or Lake Erie, according to the location of 
the sender. The contents can be worded to suit the taste 
of the writer, but it should end up with a request that the 
finder communicate with the sender and tell him when, 
where, and under what conditions the note was found ; 
and do not forget to give your address as carefully as you 
do when writing to some one for an autograph. 

Seal the note and enclose it in some water-proof ma- 
terial or a tightly corked bottle. Lash the package or 
bottle securely to a short plank and drive a nail securely in 
one end of the plank. 

After sending up your kite attach the string to the nail 
and let the plank go out to sea. If no accident happens 
to 3*our kite it is almost certain to attract some one's at- 
tention, and as a rule any one receiving such a message at 
sea will enter into the spirit of the thing and send a reply 
on the first opportunity. In this manner you can learn 
how far the kite travelled with its tow. 

Messengers up the Kite String. 

It used to be a favorite amusement with the boys to 
send messengers up their kite strings after they had suc- 
ceeded in raising their good kite to a respectable height. 
These messengers are simply round pieces of colored paper 
with slits cut in them to holes in their centres. The slits 
are for the purpose of sliding the string through to the hole. 
The latter is just large enough to allow the paper to slip 
over the string with as little friction as possible. (See Figs. 
^i and 32.) 

The wind takes these papers up the string and hence 
they are called messengers to the kite. 



Latest Things m Kites 



59 



High Fliers. 

In 1884 Mr. E. Douglass Archibald, of the Royal Me- 
teorological Society, sent up two diamond-shaped kites, 
one seven feet and the other four feet in diameter, both at- 
tached to one string. These kites, like Ben Franklin's, 




Fig. 31. — Square Mes- 
senger. 



Fig. 32. — Round Mes- 
senger. 



Sending Ui^ Messengers. 



were covered with silk ; they carried scientific instruments 
2,200 feet into the air, " Pshaw," said some Americans, 
"how is this for high ?" and they sent a tandem team of 
kites 6,000 feet up in the air; over a mile high ! 

That is kite flying ! Why, if any one of the boys had 
been able to do such a thing when the author was a lad 



6o Spring 

flying- kites on the banks of the Ohio River, that boy would 
have achieved fame enough to satisfy even the vaulting 
ambition of a young Ben Franklin. The writer's experi- 
ments had no scientific ends in view; his mission was to in- 
troduce new shapes of kites and prove by experiment that 
they would fly. He felt more pride in holding by main 
strength the heavy hempen twine to which a six-foot, strad- 
dle-legged-man kite was attached, than ever was experi- 
enced by any of those learned professors with their tandems 
of tailless kites loaded with scientific instruments. 

But all boys will be interested in Lawrence Hargrave's 
kites. This great Australian inventor of flying machines 
wanted some sort of an apparatus from which to send off 
his flying machine, and so he invented 

The Queerest Kite Ever Made. 

In appearance there is nothing to suggest a kite ; but 
then this is not surprising in a country where moles have 
the bills and feet of ducks and are credited with laying 
eggs, where poll-parrots kill sheep, and where savages have 
war clubs which when thrown at an enemy not only 
knock the enemy over but immediately return to their 
owners' hands. If the inhabitants of such a country fly 
kites we expect something unheard of in the kite line, and 
Lawrence Hargrave's kites do not disappoint us. 

Imagine two boxes with their sides removed and con- 
nected by rods and you have the form of the Hargrave kite. 
Mr. Hargrave calls these boxes " cells," but you must not 
mind that any more than you do when Mr. Eddy, Mr. 
Woglom and Professor Clayton call their kites " aero- 
planes." They mean all right by it. After )^ou grow up to 
man's estate and dignity, you too will be hunting up out-of- 
the-way terms for common things. But now, while you are 



Latest Things in Kites 6i 



boys, be charitable to the poor men and let them keep their 
dignity with big words, while you use simpler ones which 
answer the purpose better. 

Mr. J. B. Millet Tests its Qualities. 

Mr. Millet spent three summers experimenting with 
the Malay or Eddy kite and then constructed a Hargrave 
kite, and seems to be well satisfied with the action of this 
double dry-goods box, for that is what it most resembles. 

Mr. Millet, in comparing the Hargrave with the Hol- 
land, Malay, or Eddy in the Aeronautical Anmml, No. 2, 
1896, says that " the Hargrave was the steadier, the less 
likely to break or lose its shape in the air, and lifted much 
more per square foot of lifting surface." He further says 
that it is a kite that can be anchored in the wind and left 
there without fear of disaster. It will fly steadily and not 
require constant mending or balancing. 

It is evident at a glance that the Hargrave kite must 
possess " rigidity " of frame. It is also evident that this 
is a most difficult quality to be secured without adding 
weight to the structure. Hence this kite is generally con- 
sidered as unfit for light winds. 

How to Make a Hargrave Kite. 

Take eight slender, stiff pieces of bamboo, — what the in- 
land boys know as fishin' pole or cane. These sticks must 
be as evenly balanced as possible and exactly the same 
length, eighteen inches and three-quarters long. Next cut 
six sticks each eleven inches long and as nearly alike as 
possible. These are for the middle uprights and end 
stretchers. Find the middle of each of your first eight 
sticks and lash them together in pairs at their middle (Fig. 
33 A). Use waxed shoe-thread to bind the middle points 



62 spring 

together, and make the spread between a and c just eleven 
inches. Notch the ends of the sticks. 

You now have four pairs of cross sticks neatly fastened 
together, and you must take one of your eleven-inch up- 
rights and bind it to the ends of two pairs of cross sticks. 
(Fig. 34 B.) Take the other eleven-inch upright and fasten 
the other two pairs of cross sticks in the same manner. 

Next cut two " booms," " spines," or connecting-rods, 
also of stiff bamboo, and let them each be thirty inches long, 
and like the two uprights, as nearly alike as it is possible 
for you to select them. Now, with your waxed thread, or 
shoe thread, bind the two booms over the ends of the 
eleven-inch stretchers or uprights (Fig. 35 C). The boom 
must fit like the top of a letter T over the stretchers, and 
be perfectly square, that is, at right angles with the stretcher, 
b, d, Fig. 34 B. Each end of the booms must protrude 
beyond the uprights five and one-half inches, that is, the 
end b, k, the end d, I, the end m, b, and the end a, n, must 
each be five and one-half inches long, which leaves nineteen 
inches between b, b and d, d (Fig. 35 C). Bind the other four 
stretchers to the ends of the sticks a, c, etc., as shown in 
Fig. 36 D. Now string the frame, so that all the sticks 
(with the exception of the diagonal or cross sticks. Fig. 33 
A) shall be, as the boys say, perfectly square with each 
other, or, more correctly speaking, at right angles. Take 
an old paint-brush and a pot of hot glue, and paint all the 
joints with glue. 

The frame is now finished, and it only needs a cover. 
The frame should now measure thirty inches in the longest 
dimension of the box or cell, eleven inches in the height of 
the cell, and eleven inches in the breadth of the cell, that is, 
II by II by 30 inches for each box or cell, and thirty inches 
for the length of the two booms, and eight inches between 



Latest Things in Kites 



63 



Fig. 33. 



Fig. 34. 



F1G4 35. 




Fig. 37. 



Fig. 36. 







Figs. 33-37.— The Funny Hargiave Kite. 



64 spring 

the cells. Cover the kite with light, strong cloth that will 
not stretch. Fit the cloth over the frame neatly, and sew 
it on so as to form two boxes covered at the top, bottom, 
and ends. But the two broad sides of each are left open 
for the wind to whistle through. Hem all the raw edg^es 
of the cloth. On the bottom boom, at or near the inside 
edge of the cloth cover, lash with waxed thread a small 
brass ring for a belly-band (Fig. 37). 

Double and Triple Kite. 

All of the diamond-shaped, tailless kites may be made 
double or triple, and will fly as well as, if not better than, 
the single kites. 

How to Make Compound Kites. 

Use a backbone or spine stick twice the size you intend 
your kites to be. Then on the same spine stick make two 
kites, one above the other, or make the backbone three 
times as long, and make a triple kite. The courtesy of the 
editor of \\\q Aeronautical Annual places before the reader 
this 

Explanation of Triple Malay Kite. 

" Spruce frame. Backbone FL is curved as shown in the upper figure. 
MN, OP, etc., are spruce uprights \ inch x f inch and 12 to 20 inches in 
length, according to position. MO, etc., NP, etc., and also the diagonal lines, 
are taut steel wires. Backbone is 18 feet long, \ inch thick, \\ inch wide in 
the centre, tapering to |- inch wide at the ends. From L to A measured on 
the stick i feet 6 inches. From A to K, 9 inches. From K to B, 3 feet 9 
inches. From B to C, from D to E, 18 inches each. GH, QR, and ST are 
bows each 5 feet long before bending. They are \ inch x f inch. When 
bows are bent the bow-strings in their centres are about 5 inches from the 
wood. The surfaces BGAH, DQCR, and FSET are equal. 

" The curves of the backbone and the three cross-bows have their convex 
sides toward the wind. This kite is covered with very strong Manila paper. 
Weight of the whole kite, 6 pounds. Textile fabric made impervious to 
air and moisture would make a better covering. SR, TO, QH, RG, SQGL, 



Latest Things in Kites 



65 



TRHL, are taut steel-wire stays. The kite is bridled as follows : Find a 
point on the backbone between D and E 4 inches from D, here attach two 
cords, each 2 or 3 feet long, drop them so that one will be on one side and 
the other on the opposite side of the wire NP, unite the ends of the two cords, 
and rig a chafing-gear on the wire NP, so that the cords may not be cut. 

" Attach a long single cord to the cords just united. Pull taut and 
measure off 16 feet 3 inches from the point of attachment between D and 
E. Call this point on the cord W. Let the cord fall in a bight and secure 




Fig. 38. — The Professional's Compound Kite. 



W to the backbone at A. Now take four or five galvanized iron-rings and 
fasten them by marline to the cord, the first one about 7 feet 4 inches from A, 
the next about 7 feet 7 inches, and so on at intervals of 3 inches. At the end 
of the line from the reel place a small snap- hook. When this is snapped 
into the ring 7 feet 10 inches from A. the remainder of the bridle measur- 
ing 8 feet 5 inches, the kite will be bridled as when last flown. Still, no two 
kites are alike, and it may be that better results will be obtained from a new 
kite if the snap-hook is fastened to one of the other rings. Be particular 
to preserve the symmetry in framing and covering, or your labor will be 
wasted. " 

Kite String. 

Inland, where the wind is light, good, strong, linen thread 
answers all purposes for small kites, but when the kites are 
larger or the wind is stronger the best string is a close- 
twisted linen line. At the famous Blue Hill " kite stables" 
S 



66 Spring 

a string called blocking-cord is the favorite line with the 
kite-fliers. Blocking-cord is used in blocking hats. Cable- 
laid twines are also good for kite string. Knots are safer 
than splices in a kite string. Don't tie a granny knot or 
you will lose your kite. Look in your "American Boy's 
Handy Book," and in the chapter on knots, bends, and 
hitches you will see how to tie knots that will not slip. 



CHAPTER V 
MALAY AND OTHER TAILLESS KITES 

Some Famous Experiments— How the Malays and Other Oriental 
Kites Are Made — Kites in Tandem — Cannibal and Chinese Butter- 
fly Kites. 

Malay Kites. 

In a New York newspaper in October, 1894, there ap- 
peared an article describing Professor Clayton's experi- 
ment, and showing how he sent up a series of kites, all at- 
tached by short lines to one kite string. The kites were 
tailless, bowed, diamond-shaped ; kites which the writer 
called " Malay kites." The only Malay kites that the au- 
thor of this book ever saw were at the World's Fair at 
Chicago, and in the collection of Mr. Chase, the artist. 
These kites differed from the Holland kites and the Eddy 
kites in the fact that they possessed two cross sticks, one 
straight one and one a bow over the , straight stick. The 
Malay kite is said to fly without a tail, like most of its 
Oriental brothers. 

In the last edition of the " American Boy's Handy Book " 
the diamond-bowed tailless kite is described, and there 
called a Holland kite by the gentleman who sent in the de- 
scription to the author in 1883, ^^^S before it burst into 
popularity under the name of the Malay kite. 

Part of the Celebration. 

During the Columbian parade in New York City these 
kites were used to help celebrate. As on all occasions of the 



68 Spring 

kind where large bodies parade, there " came a long wait, 
the tedium being onl}^ occasionally relieved by the frantic 
efforts of the policemen to drive the crowd back by leaning 
against the foremost and pushing desperately, but generally 
unavailingly. Then there came another break in the mo- 
notony. Gilbert T. Woglom, the well-known experimenter 
with aeroplanes — actually tailless kites — sent up six gau- 
dily colored fliers from the Judson Memorial Tower, south 
of the arch. When they were so high that they were al- 
most invisible a large American flag was attached to the 
kite line and raised far into the air, until it was over a thou- 
sand feet above the earth. There it fluttered grandly, out- 
lined sharply against the unclouded beauty of the Venetian 
sky that glorified the city's holiday, until the celebration 
was ended." 

This was an interesting sight, but not new, as Captain 
Jack Walker, of the Nereus Club, used to do the same 
thing during the Fourth of July Regattas of the club on 
Flushing Bay. The captain's kite-line was attached to the 
top of the flag-pole on the club-house. An illustrated ac- 
count of this experiment appeared in the St. Nicholas Maga- 
zine several years ago. 

How to Make the Tailless Kite.* 

The vital difference between this and the old-fashioned 
diamond kite consists in using instead of the cross stick, a 
bow, as may be seen in the accompanying diagram. The 
sketch also shows how the belly-band is attached and its 
proportions, the latter being taken from a kite made in 

* " Mr. Eddy had one convex kite in his collection at Blue Hill last summer, 
which he called the Beard Kite. Mr. Beard has given to kitc-fiiers (in " The 
American Boy's Handy Book ") the earliest working drawings of a tailless kite 
which the Editor has jet found." — Aeronautical Annual, 1896. 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 



69 



Rochester, which flew very satisfactorily. The centre stick 
or spine is four feet long, the cross stick, of ash, or hickory, 
is three feet long. 

Mr. Woglom began his experiments with this sort of 
a kite in 1894, and he now keeps a regular "stable" of 




Side View, Showing Belly-Band. 
Fig. 38a. 

kites of all sizes. But he does not call them kites, he calls 
them aeroplanes, and he has sent his aeroplanes 5,590 feet 
into the sky — that is, the top kite was three hundred and 
ten feet more than a mile above the earth. 



The Woglom Kite — How it is Made. 

Take two sticks of equal length. At a point on the 
upright or spine stick, one -fifth of the length from the 
top of the spine, place the centre of the cross or bow stick 



70 



Spring 



and fasten it there. Bend the bow so that the curve is 
as perfect as possible, and fasten it with a string. Then 
string the kite as you would an ordinary diamond kite. 
Mr. VVoglom uses piano wire for the bow, and silver-plated 
copper wire for guys running around the kite from end 
to end of the sticks. Few boys, however, have access to 
such material, and string will answer their purpose. 

Mr. Eddy's Kite. 

Mr. William A. Eddy, of Bayonne, is also a celebrated 
kite enthusiast. He uses his kites for ascertaining how 
hot, cold, or damp it is up among the clouds. There is a 





Fig. 39 —The Eddy Kite. 



Fig. 40. — The Malay Kite. 



vacant lot near his house where he flies his kites, or, to use 
a new term in vogue among these grown-up kite-fiiers, he 
" dismisses a gang of kites" from the vacant lot. 

Mr. Eddy is the proud owner of a " stable " of five 
hundred kites. He began his kite-flying with the good old 
American hexagonal or coffin -shaped kite, but in using 
more than one kite on a string there was always a chance 
of the tail becoming entangled in the line. At the Colum- 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 71 



bia Exposition he saw the Malay kite and that settled the 
tails. He now uses no kites with tails. 

How It is Made. 

The following are his directions for building a kite 
as given in one of the New York papers : 

" The longitudinal stick shown in the cut (Fig. 39), at the line B D 
should be of spruce about three-eighths by one-half inch. For ordinary pur- 
poses sixty inches is a convenient length, but it can be varied to any extent 
so long as the other dimensions are kept in proportion. The cross piece 
A C should be a similar stick of equal length. When in position it 
is bent about four per cent, of its length. It should cross B D at E, 
so that B E shall be 18 per cent, of B D. The frame A B C D 
should be of light spruce, the same size as the cross-pieces, and great 
care should be used to have A B just equal to B C, and A D equal to 
C D. When the frame is finished cover loosely with nianila paper, allowing 
some concavity on the face of the kite on each side below the cross stick, so 
that it will act as a sail. Bind the edges with thin wire, which stretches less 
than string. Then go out and fly your kite. It will not be necessary to wait 
for the wind, for this kite will fly in a very slow breeze. If the kite is a large 
one, an important part is the string. It should have a breaking strength of 
from thirty to seventy-five pounds, in accordance with the strength of the 
winds it is used in. In any case not more than one-third of the breaking 
strain should be used, two-thirds being left as a reserve for emergencies. 
For very high flying silk cord is the best, as it possesses the greatest strength 
for its weight." 

Seven Kites in Tandem. 

Mr. Eddy sent up seven kites tandem that reached a 
height of 3,700 feet. This sort of kite-flying is not a boy's 
sport, at least not a small boy's sport, as the pull is often 
so great that no small boy could hold the kite, and some- 
times it is dangerous, as another kite-flier, Mr. A. A. Mer- 
rill, discovered when the line of a large kite caught him 
around the waist. Fortunately, there was help near by, or 
the accident might have proved serious. 



72 



spring 



Among the things that will interest boys is the fact that 
Mr. Eddy has sent a camera up attached to his kite string, 
and by means of a line to pull, in place of touching the but- 
ton, he has taken photographs of the landscape from a kite's 
point of view. These were reproduced in a New York 
newspaper. To use the scientists' term let us now " dis- 
miss "these aeroplanes and turn our attention for awhile 
to some novelties in the kite line, which will be less scien- 
tific but just as interesting to the boys, and in the descrip- 
tion of which we shall not have to use quotation marks, 
as the kites are our own invention. 



How to Make Wing and Wing. 

This is an entirely new form, designed especially for the 
boy readers of this book as a novelty for kite-time. The 
framework is indicated by heavy lines and the strings by 
light lines, and in Wing and Wing the sketches show the 
gradual evolution from a bow and a straight pine stick to 
^ a schooner under full sail going 

wing and wing, topsail set, wind 
astern. 

Take an elastic stick three and 
one-half feet long and bend it in 
the form of a bow, so that the 




bow 



string will measure two and 



Fig. 41. — Sticks of the Ship-Kite. 



one-half feet from A to B in the 
diagram. For a mast take a straight 
pine stick (C D) seven feet long, 
allow three inches to extend be- 
yond the bow to form a keel at C. Fasten the mast to the 
exact middle of the bow and again to the exact middle of 
the bow string, as shown in the diagram. Next cut two 
boom sticks, each five feet long, and be careful that they 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 



73 




Fig. 42. 



are exactly the same length ; fasten the ends of the boom 
stick at E and F, a trifle below A and B, the ends of the bow. 
Allow them to cross the mast and each other at a point on 
the mast one and one-half feet above the keel end of the 
mast stick, as G F and E H cross in the diagram. The 
sprit sticks, L I and J K, in the dia- 
gram should be also exactly the 
same length ; i.e., six feet each, and 
should cross the mainmast at a 
point about four feet three inches 
above the keel end of the mast. At 
a point on the mast four feet nine 
inches above C, the keel end of 
the mast stick, put the yard O P 
for the square topsail. Five feet 
ten inches from C place the second cross stick, M N ; 
square your yards, as the sailor would say — that is, see that 
they are neither tipping up nor down, but at right angles 
with your mast, D C. 

The framework is now done and you must fix the 
" ropes," made of string, as shown in the diagram (Fig. 42). 
Your kite is then ready to cover. Feet and inches have been 
used in this description only for convenience ; of course it 
is not necessary nor desirable, as a rule, to make a kite 
seven feet high, and very few boys, or even men, would be 
able to hold such a monster ; but remember that when feet 
are used it is only to give the proportions ; inches or half 
feet would answer just as well. For instance, the main 
mast pine stick, C D, would then be seven Jialf feet long, 
that is, three and a half feet. This will make a kite of very 
good size that a boy can manage. In other words, use the 
proportions given in the description, and not, necessarily, 
the same unit of measure. 



74 



Spring 



To Cover and Paint it. 

Select white paper for the sails and dark paper for the 
hull. Spread your paper on the floor and lay the frame 
upon it, holding it firmly with paper-weights or books to 
keep it in place. Then, with a good, sharp pair of shears, 
cut carefull}^ around the frame, leaving a margin of paper 
to fold over. At each angle cut a slit in the margin to the 
angle in the frame, and upon curves cut similar slits every 
few inches. This will prevent wrinkles and make a neat 
job. 

With good flour-paste cover the margin, section by sec- 
tion, turning each section over the frame and pressing it 

down with a towel or rag to make 
it adhere. Continue this until the 
whole frame is covered as in the 
diagram marked " Wing and Wing " 
(Fig. 43). When it is dry, with a 
small paint-brush paint the reef 
points on the sails with ink or black 
paint. Paint a white cutwater up 
the middle of the hull, and tie cross 
strings on the stays, rope-ladder 
fashion, where they show above and 
below the mast. 
All that is necessary now is to put a little flag or pen- 
nant on the topmast and your ship is ready to sail its course 
through the fleecy billows of cloud ocean. 




Fig. 43- 



-Wing and Wing, the 
Ship-Kite. 



Tail and Belly Bands. 

Attach a loop of string to the hull from either side of 
the keel and it will form the tail-band. Attach the belly- 
band to the two sprit sticks and allow it, like the sticks, to 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 75 

cross in the middle of the kite. Tie your kite-string to the 
belly-band and adjust it to the proper point by sliding up 
or down as the trial flights of the kite may dictate. 

Only the other day the author met a lady with a boy 
walking down the street. The boy carried affectionately in 
his arms a man kite larger than himself. The man kite was 
made upon the plan published in the " American Boy's 
Handy Book." This is mentioned only to show that boys 
can still build their own kites, for several points about this 
particular kite indicated that the lad who carried it had 
made it himself. If his father made it for him the work- 
manship was not above criticism, but for a boy's work it 
was first rate and it undoubtedly will fly. 

To Make a " Dancing Bear." 

The " Dancing Bear " is another original kite design es- 
pecially for this book. It is made like a man kite, but with 
shorter arms and legs, and the addition of two extra sticks 
in the head for ears. The heavy black lines in Fig. 44 show 
the pine sticks that make the skeleton ; the strings are the 
lighter lines. The construction is not difificult, and I think 
the reader can, if he lays the diagram in front of him, trust 
to his eye for the proportions. If not, he may call the spine 
or middle stick six feet or else six inches long, then the two 
leg sticks will also be six feet or six inches each, the arm 
stick four and one-half, and with these figures he may guess 
at the size of the head, feet, and hands. 

The only real difflculty will be in painting the kite. 
Cover it with brown paper, and with this book open before 
you, with black paint or a bottle of ink and a brush paint on 
the claws, the black triangles of shadow under the arms and 
above the legs, a black collar around the neck, leaving a 
notch for the lower jaw, and a black mouth having two teeth 



76 



Spring 



showing-, the outline of the nose, two nostrils, two wrinkles, 
two round dots for eyes and two black triangles for the in- 
side of the ears, and if it doesn't look like a bear it will 
look like some sort of a beast. 

As far as the likeness to a bear is concerned, after you 
have done your best in the artistic line, let it go ; it will 





Figs. 44, 45. — The Dancing Bear. 



be a better-looking bear than some of the drawings that 
pass for this beast in current magazines and natural his- 
tories. 

Try a "Tandem," 

that is, send up one kite first until it has reached a point as 
high as you may desire. Then send up another kite far 
enough so that its tail will not interfere with the first kite 
string. Make the second kite-string fast to the line of the 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 77 

first kite and let out more string. Mr, Clayton, late of Blue 
Hill Observatory, gives the following as 

The Best Tandem Arrangement. 

" In the summer of 1890, while experimenting with 
hexagon tail kites at Bergen Point, I found that the best 
tandem system was not to fasten one kite to the back of an- 
other, but to give each kite its individual string and allow 
it to branch upward from a main line. This method was 
so successful that on May 9, 1 891, at Bergen Point, with a 
ten or twelve mile wind from the west and with five hexa- 
gon tail kites to lift the main line, the top kite became a 
very distant speck, estimated at 4,000 feet high by those 
looking on, although no triangulation of the altitude was 
made. I have since become convinced that the probable 
altitude was 6,000 feet, but as it was not measured, I have 
not so far included it in my records of altitude. 

Tailless Kites the Best. 

" The hexagon tail kites carry up a wonderfully steep 
string, but they call for long individual lines to each kite 
to prevent the kite-tail from becoming entangled with the 
line below. But the Malay tailless kites excel them. I have 
Malay tailless kites that fly with a steeper string than a 
hexagon, and require no hauling down if the wind increases 
from eight to thirt3^-five miles an hour — conditions which 
will bring to the ground a tail kite. 

' "Since the Malay kite has only two light sticks, and can 
be built of very light paper as well as cloth, it is at home 
in mild winds of from four to eight miles an hour. The 
cloth-covered kites are much heavier and are for use in 
stronger winds." 

Now if the reader has proved himself a good kite-flier 



78 



Spring 



he should have a fine " stable " of kites of his own manufact- 
ure, and since from the authorities quoted it is evident that 
kites with tails can be made to fly tandem he can produce a 
great sensation by taking an example of all the different 
forms of kites and by sending up the largest one first. At- 




FiG. 46. — All the Novelties in the Air. 

tach the string of another to the first kite string and let it 
go. Let him pay out more line and hitch on another kite, 
and so on until he has a whole navy or zoological garden 
floating over the heads of the astonished spectators, and 
though he may discover no new law in science, he will have 
a "heap " of fun. (Fig. 46.) 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 79 



A Strange Country and the Home of a Strange Kite. 

In a land where street-car drivers on duty wear wreaths 
of flowers on their hats or around their necks ; where cen- 
tipedes have lost their venom, where savages no longer 
murder, but divide their time between decorating each 
other with flowers and working to heap up wealth for the 
white strangers who have seized their land ; in a land where 
the eruption of a volcano is hailed with joy because, like 
the centipede, it has lost its sting and does its little eruption 
act apparently with the sole object of furnishing entertain- 
ment for the people ; — in such a curious land we have a 
right to expect novelties in the kite line, and are not sur- 
prised when we find 

Cannibal Kites 

that not only do not eat each other but are perfectly harm- 
less and gentle in their deportment. If you happen to be 
at Honolulu and are taking a day off to see old Kilaue dur- 
ing an eruption, you will probably take the Kinau, the reg- 
ular Ht/o boat, and with a jolly party all bedecked with flow- 
ers sail over that wonderful sea under that wonderful sky 
southward. You will pass the extreme southwest point 
of Molokai, and skirt the emerald shores of Lanai and the 
rocky Kahoolawe, and then, turning in a northeasterly 
direction, enter the channel that separates Hawaii from 
Maui. 

This is far enough for our purpose at present, for it is 
at Maui that the cannibal kites flourish. A number of Gil- 
bert Islanders emigrated from their own island home to 
Maui and brought their kites, or the art of making them, 
with them. The whites call the Gilbert Islanders cannibals 
because of the supposed habits of these people's ancestors, 



8o 



Spring 



and hence their beautiful bird-like toys have the terrible 
name of cannibal kites. 

In form this kite is what might be termed a wide bow- 
kite. It is about five times as wide as it is high, and not at 

all like the stiff old- 
fashioned English 
bow -kite. The bow 
has the curve of the 
spread wings of a 
bird, and like them 
ends at both ends in 
points, very much on 
the same plan as the 
wings of Lilicnthal's 
wonderful flying ma- 
chine (Fig. 47). 

But while the Gil- 
bert Islanders, now 
in the Sandwich Isl- 
ands, have evolved 
the wings of a flying 
machine, it has ap- 
parently never oc- 
curred to them to 
use their invention 
for any other pur- 
pose than a beautiful 
toy. On a thirteen-foot kite the bow stick is half an inch 
thick, and the lateral cross stick is of the same thickness, but 
the bottom sticks are only a quarter of an inch in thickness. 
The longer sticks of this kite are made, like a split bamboo 
fishing rod, of a number of pieces or strips of wood neatly 
spliced together. In place of paste the Gilbert Islanders 




.iirijII/iSiin" 



Fig. 47. — The Live-Man Kite. 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 8i 

use thread, and tie the sticks to the paper covering so 
neatly that it has the appearance of being glued on. The 
kite is a delicate affair, and is only used in fair weather, 
but much stronger wings can be made to suit the winds of 
the Atlantic coast, while the boys of the Ohio and Missis- 
sippi valleys can build their kites as delicately as the original 
cannibals did theirs. 

How to Make a Cannibal Kite. 

A piece of spruce wood well seasoned and absolutely 
free from knots is what you want for your kite frame. 

Fig. 48.— The s\' 6 ^' 6^' 5" 6' 6^ .6^ s^' 

Measuring Stick. i"^'^"*^"^"- ' "^ 

Fig. 49.— The 

Spine. .- '_°*-— ' SPINS 

Fig. 50.— The 
Ribs. 

Sticks fok Cannibal Kite. 

You can make the kite as large as you choose, but in this 
description we will suppose that the frame is to be only 
about four feet from tip to tip of the wings. 

First select a good strong piece of wood of any kind, a 
little over four feet long, for a stretcher or measuring stick, 
and mark off on it, from the centre both ways, forty-nine 
inches divided thus : Five and one-half inches, six and one- 
half inches, six and one-half inches again, then six inches. 
(See Fig. 48.) Now make seven kite sticks, one for the 
spine or middle stick, ten and one-half inches long (Fig. 49) ; 
two more, each nine inches long ; two, each seven inches 
long, and two short ones four and one-half inches in length 
(Fig. 50). Make all these sticks a triiie longer than the 
length given, to allow for slight errors in bending the bows 
5 




82 



spring 



and for protruding ends. Next select the best piece of wood 
you have for the bow, and trim it so that it will bend easily 
and evenly into the required form. Make the bow five 
feet long. At the exact middle of the bow, lash the longest 
upright stick or spine (Fig. 51) 



Use strong waxed thread 



a-TRETcMef*. 



Fig. 51. — Cannibal Kite Sticks in Position. 

and tie in square knots. (See Fig. ^, Chapter XII.) 
Seven and one-half inches from the top of the spine make 
a mark, and at the mark bind the spine to the stretcher 

(Fig. 51)- 

Now bend the bow until the two ends cross the 
stretcher at the two extreme points marked on it, fasten 
the bow in this position and bind the ends of the other 
sticks to the bow in their proper order, as marked out 




FXG. 52.— Cannibal Kite. Bow Bent. 

on the measure stick, five and one-half inches from the 
end marks for the two short sticks. The next ribs are 
each six and one-half inches from the short ones, and the 
longest ribs six and one-half inches from the last, and six 
inches from the middle stick or spine (Fig. 52). Make an- 
other bow of good spruce wood a triiie shorter than the 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 



83 



first, and lash the middle of this last bow to the middle 
stick or spine at a point six and one-half inches below the 
first bow. At a point six and one-quarter inches below the 
first bow make the lower bow fast to the two longest ribs. 
At a point five and one-half inches below the top bow make 
the lower one fast to the next pair of ribs. (See Fig. 53.) 

















-H 

10 


«J3 


<3 


~~~~:^ 
-^ 


'•<v« 


"<. 




;, 


; 


•j 


':• 


" 


>\ 


/ 












\ 


/ 












\ 



Fig. 53. — Cannibal Kite. Reverse bow bent and fastened in place. 

Use the greatest of care during this process, and see 
that you keep the ribs and spine at exact right angles with 
the temporary stretcher or measure-stick. At a distance 
of three and a quarter inches below the top bow, bind the 
bottom bow to the two shorter ribs. Then bring the ends 
up slightly to a point on the top bow about three inches be- 
yond the juncture of the short rib and the bow, lash it 




Fig. 54. — Cannibal Kite. First bottom bow in place. 



securely in place and then cut off the protruding ends. 
Make two more bow sticks, each about half the thickness 
and half the length of the first one described, and with your 
strong waxed thread bind the two ends crossed on the bot- 
tom end of the spine stick. Then firmly bind the ends of 
the first pair of ribs in place, and bind the bottom bows to 



84 



Spring 



the remaining ribs at points nine, seven, and four and one- 
half inches respectively below the top bow, and to the top 
bow at the point four and one-half inches below where the 




Fig. 55. — Cannibal Kite. Frame Completed. 



latter crossed, the temporary stretcher. Cut off the pro. 
truding ends, and the temporary stretcher may now be 
removed, and your frame will have the form of Fig. 55. 

Kite Covering. 

Of course it is admitted that silk is the ideal covering 
for a kite, but silk costs money, and that is an article usually 
absent from the museum concealed in a boy's pocket. But 
for big kites common silesia, such as is used in dress linings, 
is an excellent substitute. We will suppose, however, this 
to be a paper kite. 

How to Cover the Cannibal. 

Spread your paper smoothly on the floor. Lay your 
frame on the paper and hold it in place by some paper- 
weights, books, or other handy weights. With a sharp 
pair of shears cut the paper into the form of the frame, 
leaving just sufficient margin to turn over and paste. 

About every six inches make a cut from the outer 
edge to the frame. When this is done, you can begin past- 
ing, using good flour paste and pasting one section at a 
time, pressing each down with a towel until it adheres 
firmly. 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 



8s 



The Belly Band. 

Attach each end of a piece of string, about six inches 
long, to the bow each side of the spine. Fasten another 
string to this, and connect it with the spine where the mid- 
dle bow crosses. This string should be between eight and 
nine inches long. Attach the kite string to the bellyband 
at a point about three inches from the top loop (Fig. 56). 




Fig. 56— The Great Cannibal Kite. 



These are approximate figures for a kite of the dimen- 
sions described, but each kite varies so that the flier must 
by experiment find the proper manner of adjusting the 
string of the belly-band. 

Mr. W. C. Bixby after some difficulty procured one of 
these kites from some natives and gave a short description 
of it in Harper s Young People of April 15, 1884. His kite 
had a spread of thirteen feet and a height of thirty-four and 
one-half inches. 



86 Spring 

For a fair-weather kite for tandem teams the " cannibal " 
should excel the short, dumpy Eddy or the Holland kite. 
Possibly it will never be a favorite in the East, where strong 
winds blow, but it should fly beautifully in the central parts 
of this country. 

A Chinese Butterfly Kite. 

The Aeronautical Annual, published in Boston by VV. B. 
Clarke, is really a kite-flier's magazine and it is edited by an 
enthusiastic kite-flier, Mr. James Means. When this gen- 
tleman was attending the Centennial Exhibition at Philadel- 
phia, he saw in the Chinese exhibit a tailless butterfly kite 
which he has since flown with great success. The form of 
this butterfly kite so nearl)^ approaches that of the Wing 
and Wing that there is scarcely room for doubt that with 
longer booms the latter kite will also fly without a tail, 
which will add immeasurably to its popularity. 

Mr. Means has had great success with double kites, that 
is, two or three kites one above the other with one spine, 
boom, or middle stick to answer for all. Mr. C. H. Lanson, 
of Portland, Me., uses two Malay kites with only one back- 
bone. 

It would be well for all boys who enter into this sport 
to make experiments in this line. There can be scarcely 
a doubt that a double Cannibal kite would be a grand 
flier. 

Messrs. William H. Pickering, Albert A. Merrill, and 
James Means, the Executive Committee of the Boston 
Aeronautical Society, offer five prizes for kite-fliers to 
compete for. Here is a chance for some bright American 
boy, some youthful Ben Franklin, to distinguish himself. 
The writer is unable to state what the prizes are, but the 
real value of such a prize lies in the glory of winning it, 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites ^rj 

and there is no good reason why a boy should not win any 
or all of them. 

The McAdie-Hammon California Barrel Kite. 

From the latest reports from the Pacific it would appear 
that our Far West does not intend to be left behind in kite 
building and they are now flying a paper barrel with a bow- 
sprit in place of a belly-band, the description of which I 
must quote from the San Francisco Chronicle. 

"For some months past W. H. Hammon and A. G. Mc- 
Adie, of the United States Weather Bureau, have been ex- 
perimenting with a great variet}' of sizes and shapes in 
kites, in the hope of finding one that will safely carry an 
aluminum thermograph to a height of i,ooo feet, so that the 
instrument may record, and, when returned to earth, inform 
them of the condition of the atmosphere far above the 
house tops. From some such observations they would be 
able to foretell many of the pranks of the weather, but their 
service in this line would be of most value to shipping, as 
the fact that a fog was coming in could be ascertained so 
long before its arrival as to give ample time for warning 
every ship in the bay of the danger which threatened mov- 
ing vessels. 

" On Tuesday Hammon and McAdie tried a queerly 
shaped apparatus, which rose into the air with such a re- 
markable willingness as to highly elate its inventors. In 
appearance the new kite bears a close resemblance to a 
paper barrel, with bowsprit projecting from one end. 

Its form is cylindrical. It is about four feet long and 
two feet in diameter. It is made up of four very light 
hoops, and braced together with thin strips of wood. The 
twelve-inch space between the pair of hoops at either end 
is covered with a collar of paper, and the string by which 



88 Spring 

the kite is held is attached to a stick which passes diago- 
nally through the inside of the cylinder from end to end, 
projecting from that end nearest the operator. The ar- 
rangement is something of a modification of the Australian 
kite, invented by Professor Hargrave, but a wonderful im- 
provement over his apparatus, as shown by Tuesday's test. 
Hammon and McAdie worked on their new kite for some 
weeks before giving it a trial, and as they have met with 
many disappointments expected little else when they hoisted 
their paper barrel. The trial took place in the ten-acre lot 
just north of the German Hospital, and there were fifty or 
sixty boys of the neighborhood on hand to guy the invent- 
ors had their latest device proved a fizzle. McAdie held 
the odd-looking object, and Hammon walked off with the 
string tied to the bowsprit in his hand. He looked ahead 
of him to see that there w^ere no boys over which to stumble 
and cried out: 

'''All right, McAdie!' 

" McAdie let go the kite, Hammon ran and the new- 
fangled kite soared up into the air, not so gracefully, but 
with less apparent effort than a sea-gull shows as it flits 
across the waters of the bay. For a few minutes Hammon 
had all he could do to let out string, but McAdie, who was 
at leisure after the hoisting, gazed at the object of their labor 
with a delighted smile and yelled, 'Eureka!' while the 
small boys cheered the artificial bird on its upward flight. 

" In the air the body of the kite maintains a horizontal 
position, and the bowsprit attachment, of course, points 
downward. Although at Tuesday's trial the new kite did 
not rise to as high an altitude as have some of the Malay 
or flat kites which the weather men have experimented 
with, it carried the string which held it to an angle much 
nearer a perpendicular than any of the others have. This 



Malay and Other Tailless Kites 89 

tendency of the new kite to stand more nearl}^ over its 
anchor, when in the air, leads to the belief that ultimately 
it will be an easy matter to send the kite up 1,000 feet. 

" McAdie recently informed the Chief of the Weather 
Bureau at Washington, Willis Moore, that he would sur- 
prise him some day by sending him in a report of the at- 
mospherical conditions existing 1,000 feet above San Fran- 
cisco. He and Hammon propose that the San Francisco 
Bureau shall be the first to officially record such observa- 
tions." 



CHAPTER VI 



AERIAL FISH AND DRAGONS 

When a gang of kites is sent up tandem, each kite helps 
to lift the string and prevent it from sagging. Conse- 
quently not only flags but all manner of queer things can be 
attached to the main kite-string. Paper streamers of bright 

colors and large pa- 
per Japanese fish and 
dragons weigh very 
little, and will make 
a display most won- 
derful to behold. 
The author attached 
a Jap anese fish 
about five feet long 
to the string of an 
old-fashioned hexagonal kite, the latter was about three feet 
high. With the aid of a good wind the kite kept that great 
fish flapping up aloft all day. 

Paper Dragon or Fish for Kite Strings. 

With a pencil mark out a pattern on a piece of wrapping 
paper, and after you have secured the shape you desire, cut 
it out with the scissors. Take some red or yellow tissue 
paper and cut it according to the brown-paper pattern. You 
will see by the diagrams (Figs. 57 and 58) that the mouth 
should be very large. This is because a hoop is pasted in 




Figs. 57, 58. — Paper Dragon and Paper Fish. 



Aerial Fish and Dragons 



91 



the mouth to admit the breeze which is to inflate the dragon 
or fish. After cutting out two tissue-paper dragons, ac- 
cording to your pattern (Figs. 59 and 60), paste the edges 
together, except at the mouth (Fig. 61), which must be 
left open. When the paste is perfectly dry take the scissors 
and cut slits of about half an inch long all around the mouth 
opening (Fig. 64). For the hoop use any light elastic 
wood that you can bend into a circular form. Make a hoop 
of this material the exact size of the mouth opening of the 



Fig. 59.- 



-One-half of Paper 
Skin. 



Fig. 60.— The Other Half 
with Flaps for Pasting. 



Fig. 61. — Showing the Two ' 
Halves Partly Pasted. \ 




dragon or fish (Fig. 63), and then paste it in by folding 
the parts divided by the slits over the hoop as in Fig. 65, 
and allow it to dry. When it is dry attach strings to 
the hoop from opposite sides and let the loops form a sort 
of belly-band (Figs. 57, 58 and 65). 

The fish will then be ready to be attached to the kite- 
string, and when it is aloft it will swell out like a balloon 
and look very comical in the air. (Fig. 46, Chap. IV.) If 
a heavy black line is painted on each side of the head to 
represent the mouth, and two big black circles to represent 
the eyes, it will add greatly to the effect. (Figs. 57 and 58 
show how to paint the dragon and fish.) 



92 



spring 



Pennants 

Can be made bv simply cutting a triangle from colored tis- 
sue paper and pasting the edges together, as described with 
the fish. A hoop must also be fastened in at the larger 




Fig. 62.— The Paper. 



Fig. 63.— The Hoop. 



Fig. 64. — Hoop in Place. 



Fig. 65. — Finished Pen- 
nant. 



Hoop PASTED IN 

and belu'y band attached. 
Pennants. 



end and a belly-band arranged as described in the case of 

the fish. (See Figs. 62, 6^, 64 and 65.) 

Comical Figures. 

Not only reptiles and beasts, but men and women can be 
made in the same manner and with little difficulty. Use 



Aerial Fish and Dragons ■ 93 

pink paper for the hands and face of the men and women 
and put the hoop in the top of their heads, as shown in the 
accompanying diagrams of dragon and fish. 

A good tandem team of five or six kites will support 
quite a number of these queer devices and will reward 
your trouble with no end of fun. You need not fear 
that your work will be unappreciated, for when the passers- 
by see fish, alligators, and men and women bobbing around 
in the sky they not only will stop and look, but will linger 
and look again and again ; and as the pay of all who appear 
before the public is public applause you will be well paid. 

A Live-Man Kite. 

In the " American Boy's Handy Book," there is described 
a man kite, but since then a real live-man kite has appeared 
in the person of Mr. Otto Lilienthal of Berlin. His kite 
consists of two wooden frames covered with cotton 
twill, or in other words, two cloth-covered kites one above 
the other. These kites are capable of being folded up 
when not in use. Mr. Lilienthal jumps off of high places 
and then by means of his kite sails a long distance. From 
a hill a hundred feet high he can sail like a fiying squirrel 
about seven hundred feet. See illustration from a photo- 
graph of a live-man kite in Chapter IV. 

If Mr. Lilienthal would build himself a number of big 
Cannibal kites and send up a tandem of them, he might 
take his wings with him and go up with the kites five or six 
hundred feet. From such a perch he could easily soar 
nearly a mile ! Or since his wings are really kites, he 
might, if he is brave enough, and no one doubts his cour- 
age, fasten a string to himself and go up like any other 
kite as far as he could, and then cast loose the string and 
sail down. But seriously, the wonderful advancement in 



94 Spring 

kites and flying machines is so rapid that there is reason to 
believe that some such feat as suggested will actually be 
performed before what has been written here can go 
through the printer's hands and come out in the form of a 
book. Do not try to forestall these experiments. Give the 
gentlemen already in the field a chance first, and then the 
author of this book will not feel that he is responsible to 
parents for the broken heads or limbs of his boy readers. 



CHAPTER VII 
HOOPS AND WHEELS 

The Old and the New Fangled Hoops— How to Trundle a Wheel— Sport 
with Tin-Can Covers. 

Several years ago an effort was made to make wire or 
iron hoops popular. They were neatly made, and propelled 
by an iron hook, which kept the hoop upright and pushed 
it along in place of being propelled by a succession of 
blows, as in the old-fashioned primitive barrel hoop. But 
the very points that the manufacturers thought would rec- 
ommend these toys to the small boys, eventually caused 
their downfall and the substitution for them of a wooden 
hoop, much neater than the clumsy barrel hoop, and bet- 
ter adapted to the boy's ideas than the metal one. 

Like the former, it is propelled by means of a short 
stick, with which the boy belabors his toy. This has re- 
tained its popularity for the last twenty-five years. Various 
attempts have been made to improve on it by adding bells 
and metal jinglers of odd shapes, producing what was ex- 
pected to be pleasant and popular noises ; but no boy out 
of kilts will sacrifice the dignity of his knickerbockers by 
causing them to chase after such a baby rattle. So these 
elaborate affairs are relegated to the little girls and kilted 
boys, while the sturdy legs of the real small boy run tire- 
lessly after the old wooden hoop. 



96 



Spring 



A Reminiscence. 

The greatest triumph of my hoop-time days was when 
my parents bought some sugar hogsheads, which were cut 
up for kindling-wood. 1 secured the largest of the 
hoops, which stood some distance above my head, and from 
one of the staves of the hogshead made myself a beautiful 
club to hammer my giant with. Then 1 sallied forth, and 




Fig. 66. — Hoop-time. 

when I bore down on a street full of my play-mates rolling 
this giant hoop in front of me, all the metal store-hoops and 
wooden barrel hoops ceased rolling, while the boys stood 
respectfully aside to let me pass. It was a great triumph, 
and was talked about long afterward as the lads gathered 
on the sidewalk to play Jack and the Candles in the dusk 
of a summer evening. There was one freckled-face boy 
who tried to mar my triumph by securing a big cart wheel, 
but he only caused a laugh, because he could not manage 
his heavy-spoked and hubbed hoop, which insisted upon 



Hoops and Wheels 



97 



going its own gait and taking its own direction, in spite of 
the severest clubbing, to the great alarm of passing pedes- 
trians. But small 

Wheels 

are very popular during hoop-time, and make an interest- 
ing toy, requiring more skill to guide than the ordinary 
hoop. To trundle a wheel the boy uses a long stick, one 
end of which he places under 
the hub, and with which he 
both pushes and guides the 
wheel in a very interesting 
and skilful manner, as he runs 
after it, 

Tin-Can Cover. 

Generally it is the top of a 
big, old - fashioned blacking- 
box that is used for this pur- 
pose. First, the boy finds the 
centre of the box-lid, after a 
manner known to himself, but 
not recorded in any work on 
geometry. Next, he places 
the lid on a board, and, with an 
puncher, and half of a brick or 
hammer, he drives the nail through the centre of the tin. 
From the mysterious depths of his pocket he produces 
about a yard of top-cord, and, putting one end of the string 
^' his mouth, he brings the ravelled end to a point, which 
^^ threads through the hole in the box-cover. At the 
^th^r end he makes a big, round hard-knot, and pulls the 
stnn^ through until the knot rests against the cover. 

This accomplished, he starts to run, and, by the exercise 
7 




Fig. 67. — Trundling a Wheel. 



old rusty nail 
a cobble-stone 



for 
for 



98 



Spring 



of his art, he causes the tin to trundle on the side-walk 

along side of him. 

There are no very new things in hoops, and if any man 

should attempt to bring his scientific experience and 

knowledge to bear upon the 
subject, and invent a new 
toy in that line, he would 
find it a difficult operation 
when he attempted to per- 
suade the conservative 
small boy to adopt his in- 
vention. What a boy uses, 
it seems, must be what has 
been tried for centuries by 
his predecessors and proved 

faithful, and any change in form must be the gradual and 

almost imperceptible growth of natural evolution, caused 

by the change of surroundings or, as their parents would 

say, environments. 




Fig. 68.— Racing with the Tin Wheel. 



CHAPTER VIII 
HOW TO MAKE THE SUCKER 

Leather Suckers and Live Suckers — Turtle-Fishing with Suckers. 

A PIECE of sole-leather, three or four inches square, is 
the first thing necessary in order to make a sucker. A 
sharp knife is the next thing, and a bright boy who can 
use the knife without cutting his fingers is the third. 
Let the boy trim the corners of the leather until the edges 
are circular in form, or, as he would say, round. Lay the 
leather on a flat surface, and pare or bevel off the edge 
until it is thin enough to be called a paper edge. 

Now the boy may bore a small hole through the centre 
of the sucker, just large enough to force the end of a good 
strong top-string through. Near the end of the top-string, 
which has just been pushed through the leather, tie a good 
hard-knot, and make it big enough to prevent the possi- 
bility of its slipping back through the leather. It is now 
only necessary to pull the string through the leather 
until the knot fits against the under part of the sucker, 
and to cut off the superfluous string beyond the knot. 

How to Use the Sucker. 

Soak the leather in water until it is very soft and 
" flabby." Find a loose brick, place the sucker on top of 
the brick, and, with one foot, press it as flat as possible. 
Then slowh^ and carefully try to lift the sucker by the 



lOO 



spring 




Fig. 6o. 



Fig. 70. 



Fig. 71. 



Fig. 72. 



Figs. 69, 70, 71, 72. — How to Make a Sucker. 



string. Air is heavy, as 
your school-books will 
tell you, and it will 
press so hard all around 
the leather, that, if your 
sucker is a good one, 
you ma}^ lift the brick 
before the sucker will 
loosen its hold. 

There is a fish in the 
Atlantic Ocean that the 
author has seen and 
sketched from life, 
which has an arrange- 
ment on top of its head 
made on the same prin- 
ciple. Fishermen call 
it the " shark -sucker," 
although its proper 
name is the re mora. 
When the remora wants 
to travel fast, and is 
too lazy to do so by his 
own exertions, he steals 
up to some terrible old 
shark and noiselessly 
and gently flattens his 
sucker on the shark's 
belly or side, and there 
he sticks fast. The 
shark may be a terrible 
man-eater or, worse 
than that for the marine 



How io Make ike Sucker loi 



world, a voracious fish-eater, but it matters little to the 
remora, he is safer sticking to the shark's body than any- 
where else, and does not need to even wag his tail, but goes 
tearing through the water as fast as the shark can swim. 

A Live Sucker for Turtles. 

This remora has been used, according to some French 
writers, to catch turtles. A line having been fastened to a 
rubber ring around the remora's tail, the fish is allowed 
to swim off, and when he sees a turtle he sticks fast to him, 
and the fisherman pulls both in. So it may be that to the 
remora belongs the honor of suggesting the boy's sucker. 



CHAPTER IX 
UP IN THE AIR ON STILTS 

How to Make all Kinds— Stilt- Walking Shepherds— Hand or Arm-Stilts 
are Best for Beginners — Queer Stilts Used in Various Countries. 

The other day a magician appeared to me. Instead 

of a peaked cap he wore a derby hat, and, in place of the 

long black gown, his garb was the ordinary suit of a New 

York man. There was nothing mysterious in his manner, 

but, with a smiling face, he looked into my studio and said : 

" The boys want a new book, and put in something on 

stilts." 

Tom's Wooden Legs. 

I believe in magic. Let me try it on myself and see if I 
can bring back a scene of my youth in Kentucky. 

Ab-ra-ca-dab-ra Stilts ! 

Who is that pale-faced, curly haired boy straddling over 
the blue-grass lawn on long, wooden legs ? Why, it's my 
old playfellow, Tom ! Hello, Tom ! Where did you get 
those stilts? But what a foolish question ! I might know 
what the answer would be : " Made 'em." 

It took me all one Saturday to finish a pair of wooden 
legs like Tom's. I begged a pair of Aunt Annie's clothes- 
poles for the sticks, and sawed them off the proper length, 
then, with my jack-knife, I shaped the handles and smoothed 
them with a piece of sand-paper. Next I took a sound piece 
of two-inch pine board, and marked with a piece of soft 



up in the Air on Stilts 



103 



brick the outline of one block. 
With a hand-saw I soon cut 
this out, and, placing it on the 
remains of the two-inch plank, 
outlined a duplicate block. 
After this the blocks were 
smoothed off with my knife. 

Hand Stilts. 
I then heated a small piece 
of iron and bored holes for 
the nails and screws, and fas- 
tened the blocks on to the 
sticks. We called these 
" hand - stilts," because the 
sticks are just long enough 
above the block to reach the 
hands of the walker. (See 

Fig- 73.) 

In those days there were 

only a few of us who had money 
in our pockets, but that is 
about the only thing that was 
not there — bits of string, mar- 
bles, tops, leather slings, with 
old nails as ** hummers " to 
throw from them, jack-knives, 
occasionally one with a whole 
blade, "rubber" buttons for 
finger-rings, in all stages of 
manufacture, with sand-paper, 
buckskin and pumice-stone 
for polishing them, " lucky 



^ Wan OLE 




>^. 



Fig. 73. — Tom's Wooden Legs. 



I04 



Spring 



stones " from the head of a fish, to make us certain winners 
at marbles; two or three buck-eyes for ballast, fish-lines, 

hooks and sinkers, 

.y^Ni&MONN Q-ADABout and an apple or two 

<Stilt5 „ foi" lunch between 

Yhc GiF^uBoys" meals. These were 

some of the things 

that were always in 

our pockets. 

In the twilight, af- 
ter tea, Tom and I 
sauntered out on our 
hand - stilts to visit 
some boys on the next 
street. 1 am afraid 
our visit was not alto- 
gether prompted by 
friendship ; we knew 
that those boys did 
not dare use straps 
over their feet for 
fear of a fall, and that 
the sticks of their 
stilts were awkward 
and long, poking up 
from behind their 
shoulders, and for 
reasons of timidity 
the blocks were set low. So we wandered over to show 
off and let those " girl boys " (Fig. 75) just see what reck- 
less, wild fellows we were. 




Fig. 74- 



Fig. 75- 



up ill the Air on Stilts 105 



A Short-Lived Triumph. 

As we approached, the boys on the next street lined up 
against a brick wall, and stood watching us swagger by, 
but our triumph was short-lived, for, as we neared the 
corner, we met Dick, another playmate, and he was not 
walking on the side-walk, but striding over the uneven 
limestone-paved street, with his hands carelessly thrust 
into his pockets, and his mouth puckered up, whistling, 
" Way Down South in Dixie." 

Was he on stilts? Of course he was ; but he not only 
had straps over his feet, but straps on his legs, and the 
sticks only came to the knee, leaving the hands free. He 
could not even see us until we hailed him with " Hello, 
Dick ! " 

Then he only stopped whistling long enough to say, 
" Hello, fellows," and continued on his way. 

We watched him disappear down the street and 
nothing was said until he strode out of sight. Then Tom 
remarked : " Ain't Dick stuck up ? Poo ! we can make 
stilts like his ; that's nothing ! " 

" I'll bet we can," I replied, to which Tom nodded his 
head by way of assent, and, as a smile spread over his face, 
said : " Well, I don't care ; we can lick salt off of those 
fellows' heads, anyhow," referring to the " girl boys," and 
to the fact that our stilt-blocks were enough higher than 
theirs to render this feat possible. 

The Japs Use Stilts. 

No one knows when stilts were first introduced by 
mankind, nor for what purpose they were invented. I 
never heard of an American Indian walking on them, but 
away off in Japan the little shaven-headed boys walk on 



io6 



Sprhig 



bamboo stilts of quaint design (Fig. "jf). The blocks are 
mortised on to the sticks and bound in place by withes. 

The blocks project 
backward, instead 
of sideways, and the 
little Japs hold on 
by their big toes 
(Fig. 76), allowing 
the stick to pass, like 
a sandal - band, be- 
tween their great 
and their smaller 
toes. 

1 would not rec- 
ommend this style 
for American boys, 
as I hardl}^ think the 
wearing of heavy 
shoes is a proper 
preparation of the 
foot for such uses. 

Tattooed Stilt- 
Walkers. 

The first travel- 
lers who visited the 
Marquesas Islands 
found them peopled with a magnificent race, of which every 
member was an athlete ; an artistic race whose beautiful 
clothes lasted until death put an end to the wearer, for their 
costume was the skin with which the Creator covered 
their bodies — but which the islanders had beautifully deco- 
rated with tattooing, from the crowns of their heads to the 




Figs. 76 and 77.— The Little Japs' Odd Stilts. 






up in the Air on Stilts 



107 



tips of their toes. One of the chiefs, when measured, was 
found to stand six feet eight inches in his bare feet. 

They were great stilt-walkers, and went through per- 
formances which would excite the envy of any modern 
acrobat. They ran races, jumped and danced on their 




Fig. 78.— Stilt Walkers, Marquesas Islanders. 

beautifully made and superbly decorated stilts, and thought 
it great fun to trip each other up. 

In place of straps the block of the Marquesas stilt 
curves over so as to hold the foot. They used hand-stilts 
like those of the Western boys (Fig. 78). 



Anti-Gadabouts. 

At the close of the sixteenth century it was the style 
in Southern Europe for the women to wear, under their 
dresses, stilts which, they claimed, gave them height and 



io8 



Spring 




Fig. 79. — Sixteenth Century Anti-Gadabouts. 



dignity of bearing ; 
but it is hinted that 
their fathers and 
husbands intro- 
duced the style so 
as to make it diffi- 
cult for them to 
walk, and cause 
them to stay at 
home, just as the 
Chinese of to-day 
keep up the style of 
cramping and de- 
forming their wom- 
en's feet to prevent 
them gadding about. 
These anti- gad- 
abouts of the six- 
teenth century are 
all too heavy and 
clumsy for Ameri- 
can boys, but a 
modification of the 
French shepherd's 
stilts are the very 
reverse, and might 
be properly called 
" gadabouts." 

Shepherds on 
Stilts. 

The French shep- 
herds, perched on 



up in the Air on Stilts 



109 




Fig. 



-Shepherds on Stilts. 



their long wooden sticks, look like ungainly storks, but 
they can spy a sheep when a man on the ground would be 
unable to detect him, and they can wade a stream dry shod, 
or, rather, with dry feet, for I believe they wear no shoes. 

In fact, Dick's stilts, strapped on his sturdy legs (Figs. 74 
and 81), are only a 
modification of these 
shepherd's wooden 
legs, and, if we give 
Dick the shepherd's 
long cane or pole, 
and shorten the dis- 
tance to the ground, 
we have a pair of 
gadabouts, which, 
though requiring 
some skill to use, 
will not be danger- 
ous, and will admit Fig. 81.— Dick's Leg Stilts with Straps. 




no Spring 

of the free use of the hands. Gadabouts are sometimes 
used in Brooklyn, but I have never seen them in New York. 

Best for the Boys. 

. The long-armed, strapless stilts of the "girl boys" are 
first-rate for beginners. The hand-stilts are good all-round 
walkers, and the gadabouts are the best for the sturdy 
American boys, because they require skill in their manu- 
facture and use. 

They develop just those qualities of ingenuity and pluck 
that have made us the nation we are. Remember that you 
boys of to-day are the men of to-morrow, and it is to you 
that we must leave this great country to success or to ruin, 
according to the faculties you develop now while you are 

yet boys. 

Trick Stilt-Walking. 

While I was a member of the gymnasium at Cincinnati, 
the youngsters were intensely interested in a group of 
professionals, who practised there during the winter 
months. They were mostly circus men, quite gentlemanly 
sort of men, not at all what people generally suppose circus 
men to be. 

One bald-headed man, of particularly dignified and 
austere looks and manners, was in the summer time a 
painted clown of the saw-dust ring. At a certain hour each 
day, as regular as a clock, this bald-headed man appeared, 
and strapped a pair of long stilts to his legs, while we 
looked on with awe at the dreadful proceeding. Then he 
began his practice. He did not walk, skip, hop or jump. 
He had but one object in view, but one ambition, and that 
was to do the inebriate act, although he was a man who 
never used ardent spirits. So, for an hour or more each 
day, he hung on to a rope suspended from the ceiling, and 



up in the Air on Stilts in 

swayed his body around, as we have all seen the clown do 
at the circus, when he comes in and pretends to become 
intoxicated while walking on stilts, All winter the bald- 
headed man practised this one act, and the Spring birds 
had begun to appear before he dared, without keeping a 
firm hold of the rope, to do '* the drop," as he called the 
peculiar limp stagger that he had practised all winter. 

Since then, when I attend a circus, and the ridiculous 
clown appears in the ring, and does his part in the clown's 
peculiar off-hand manner, I forget to laugh, for I am lost in 
wonder, thinking of the constant study, application, and 
hard work that he must have gone through, in order that 
we may think him a funny old fool. This incident is re- 
lated to show what practice it takes to acquire skill in 
difficult feats. Few boys are willing to devote so much 
time and thought to learn anything, and certainly not to 
learn one trick on stilts. 

Skating on Stilts. 

Alfred Moe skates on stilts, doing the inside and out- 
side edges with ease and grace. He cuts a figure 8, and 
all the various other figures well known to skaters. Moe 
began his public career as a roller-skater, and claims to 
have opened the first roller-skating rinks in this country 
and in England. He evolved the idea of stilt-skating in 
1868, and gave his first performance in St. Louis. 

From my observation of the clown, I am satisfied that 
the stilt-skater must have done some hard work practicing 
before he dared appear in public. Such things are novel- 
ties, but not suitable to the ordinary boy, who, if he be- 
comes expert enough to run, jump, hop, and skip on his 
wooden legs, has acquired all the skill that is necessary to 
enjoy the fun of stilt-walking. 



112 



Spring 



Ocuya, or Giant Dance. 

If you will look on your map of Africa, just below the 
equator and between longitude ii° and 12° east, you will 

see where the mer- 
ry black A p o n o s 
dwell, a very honest, 
irresponsible, light- 
headed set of sav- 
ages. For several 
months each year 
this tribe does noth- 
ing but dance, sing, 
and drink palm 
wine. When the 
wine season is over 
they settle down to 
ordinary pursuits, 
and would find no 
place in this book if 
it were not for the 
fact that one of their 
weird dances is per- 
formed on stilts. 

This entertain- 
ment is called the 
Ocuya, or Giant 
Dance. Ocuya is 
made of wicker- 
work, with a big 
wooden head and 
wooden arms. Mon- 

FiG. 82.— Ocuya, the Aponos' Dance, Africa. key skinS fumish the 




up in the Air on Stilts 



113 



head - dress, and a 
long- skirt of grass- 
cloth hides the stilt- 
walker. It is un- 
necessary to add 
that the native must 
be a skilful stilt- 
walker to take the 
part of Ocuya. 

New Woman on 
Stilts. 

According to the 
newspapers, walk- 
ing on stilts is the 
very latest fashion- 
able amusement of 
the " new woman " 
in London.. If there 
is any truth in this 
statement, it is safe 
to say that it will 
not be long before 
you boys will be 
called upon to make 
stilts for your sis- 
ters. There can be 
little doubt that the 
time is coming when 
a book written for 
boys will be the only 
one girls will read, 
or, rather, every 
8 




Fig. 83. 

(From an old engraving made in 1779.) 



114 Spring 

book will be written for young people, and will be ad- 
dressed to both boys and girls. Just why girls should 
not walk on stilts or engage in any similar sport no one 
yet has given a satisfactory answer. Twenty-five years 
ago the boys used to make stilts with very low blocks for 
their sisters, and the girls seldom would use them, but 
insisted upon using their brothers' high-blocked stilts. 

Tomato-Can Stilts. 

In the cities, where wood is scarce, it is quite pathetic to 
see the boys tramping around on old tomato-cans for stilts. 
The tomato-cans have strings tied to them in place of 
poles, and these strings are held by the hands. 

Lath-Stilts. 

One bright boy, on Fourth Avenue, New York City, has 
a pair of stilts made of old laths, from the ruins of some 
dismantled house. Three laths nailed together form each 
stilt pole, and the blocks are made of a graduated lot of 
pieces of lath nailed together. 

Now, if a small boy in the tenement-house district can 
make himself a good, serviceable pair of stilts out of some 
old laths, there can be no doubt that the boys who read 
this book will be able to find material and tools to build 
themselves beautiful gadabouts. 



CHAPTER X 
BAIT, LIVE AND DEAD 

Salt-Water Worms that Live on Land — Angle-Worms, Hellgramites, 
Minnows, Crawfish, Grasshoppers, Crickets, Frogs, and " Lamp- 
ers" — How to Catch and How to Keep Thera. 

All modern naturalists will tell you how long, long 
ago an adventurous marine worm, little by little, accus- 
tomed himself to living out of water, until at length he 
was able to sustain life on land, so long as there was 
moisture enough to keep his body moist. His descendants 
throve in their new home, and multiplied and spread all 
over the face of the earth, and to-day they may be called 
land animals, although they still breathe as a leech does, 
and are still dependent upon water in the form of moisture 
to support life. In a dry atmosphere and dry earth they 
die. 

All day long these busy worms eat their way through 
the earth, and grow fat on the food on which they live. 
With no eyes, they know light from darkness ; without 
noses, they can smell out food buried in the earth ; without 
ears, they hear the approach of an enemy, and every ring 
and invisible bristle on their slimy bodies is keenly sensitive 
to the slightest touch. 

After a rain in June how the robins laugh to see the 
angle-worms enjoying the wet grass of the lawns ! But, 
if Mr. Robin expects to catch many, he must be prepared 
for work, for at the sound of the bird's light foot-fall the 



1 1 6 Spring 

angle-worm quickly disappears in his hole. Often the 
robin secures a piece of the retreating tail, but that is a 
matter of little importance to the worm, for there are 
plenty of tails where that came from, and he grows himself 
another. 

If you take an earth-worm in your hand and smooth 
him with your fingers from his tail to his head, you will 
distinctly feel the invisible bristles, four pair of which grov/ 
at each ring of his body. Now, if you stroke the worm 
from his head to his tail, no resistance will be felt ; he is as 
slippery as an eel. The reason for this is that the bristles 
point backward, and thus enable him to crawl. For they 
keep his tail fixed while he is stretching his head forward, 
and then he holds on with hooked bristles on the forward 
end of his body while pulling his tail up. By repeating 
this operation the worm manages to crawl on the surface 
or below ground. 

The Work which Angle-Worms Do, 

- • Painstaking scientific men have made careful calcula- 
tions, and claim that an acre of ordinary land suitable for 
worms contains fifty-three thousand angle worms ! If bait 
is ever scarce, it is because the worms in a long-continued 
drought or during very cold weather burrow deeply into the 
ground, sometimes to the distance of eight feet, which is 
too long a distance to dig for bait. 

It takes very little imagination on the part of the reader 
to consider that fifty-three thousand worms, all busy tak- 
ing earth from below and piling it above ground, can do a 
great deal in a few thousand years. 

To our common, despised earth-worm, Mr. Darwin says 
we are indebted for the preservation of many noble statues 
and works of art. . For, when the priceless art treasures of 



Bait, Live and Dead 1 1 7 

an older civilization were left to deca}^ amid the ruins of the 
ancient cities, the earth-worms went silently to work to 
bury them, which, in course of time, they accomplished, 
thus protecting the statues and carvings from the ruinous 
action of the elements, and from vandal human hands. 
Without the assistance which angle-worms render, by 
preparing the soil to receive the seeds, many plants would 
become extinct. We reward the creature by impaling his 
wriggling bod}- on hooks, and by using him as bait for fish. 
Digging for worms is always laborious work, and all fisher- 
men should know 

How to Collect Angle-Worms 

at night, when they are above ground, and you need no 
spade and laborious digging to catch them. If there has 
been a warm shower, the conditions for a big harvest of 
worms is perfect. Take a lantern and a pail or a box and 
sally forth. If you step softly, and hold your lantern close 
to the ground, you will see hundreds of worms in the 
wet grass, in the open foot-path and by the road-side — 
great fat fellows called night-crawders, that will make any 
hungry fish's mouth water. 

Last summer I saw a mysterious light moving over my 
front lawn, and when I investigated its origin, I discovered 
a boy with a pail and a lantern, catching worms. When he 
saw a worm, he would snatch it as quickly as any robin. 

But that is not the best manner to capture them. When 
you see a worm lying on the ground, you will discover, if 
you look carefull}^ that it has one end of its slippery body 
hidden in its burrow, but what you cannot see is that the 
stiff bristles are firmly hooked in the soil in the hole. At a 
moment's notice the worm can draw itself out of sight, by 
simply contracting its muscles. If you will gently place 



ii8 Spring 

your finger on the end of the earth-worm's body at the 
burrow, you will frighten this end of his body, so to speak, 
and cause it to let go its hold. But as soon as the worm, in 
its endeavor to escape from the enemy at home, does this, 
it is helpless, and you may pick it up and put it in your 
pail, which will soon be filled with good bait. 

Different Varieties. 
There are many varieties of angle-worms known to the 
fisherman. Whether they are varieties recognized by the 
scientist or not, is of no importance here, but we all know that 
some worms are strong, lusty, dark in color, and will live 
some time on the hook ; while others are weak, flabby, light in 
color, and soon die on the hook. Mr. J. Harrington Keene, 
in Harper s Young People for July 23, 1889, describes 
worms, which he calls the garden-worm, the brandling, a 
manure-heap-worm, the cockspur, with golden spots on its 
tail, the marsh-worm, to be found in boggy places, and the 
flag-worm, found at the roots of the sweet flag.* Fish will 
bite at all of these worms, but for large fish I have found 
the night-crawlers and the marsh or mud-worm, the most 
tempting. Since writing the last sentence I tried a big 
night-crawler with success upon a sly old trout which has 
resisted the tempting bait of anglers for years. After you 
have collected your bait the next thing to know is 

How to Keep Angle-Worms Healthy and Well. 
Put them in any sort of clean tin box. Place the cover 
of the box on a piece of soft plank, and with a hammer 

* In Isaac Walton's " Complete Angler," he speaks of the garden-worm as the 
" lob- worm," and then enumerates the other varieties as the red-worm of the 
manure-heaps, and the brandling or yellow-worm, ringed with red, of manure- 
heaps and tan-heaps. His description of these worms seems to correspond to the 
varieties enumerated by Mr. J. Harrington Keene. 



Bait, Live and Dead 119 

and nail, make a number of holes in the cover to admit 
air. Gather some fresh moss, and cover your angle-worms 
with it. Put in plenty of moss, and no earth, except that 
which naturally adheres to the moss. The moss should be 
moist but not wet. Leave enough space between the top 
of the moss and the cover to form an air-chamber. 

In this box your bait not only will not die, but will grow 
stronger and better day by day. When you wish a fresh 
bait, pull out the wad of moss, and you will find the worms 
hanging from the bottom like so many bits of string. Keep 
the box in some damp, cool place, where it will be sheltered 
from the rain and sun. 

I have often heard that if you tap on the ground the 
worms will come out of their holes. This is probably an 
ancient legend without truth. Some old Long Islanders, 
however, assert that the worms will think the noise to be 
rain, and hasten above ground to prevent being washed 
out and drowned. 

How to Bring the Worms Out of their Holes. 

A writer in La Nature makes the statement that the 
earth-worms can be quickly forced to come above ground, 
by pouring a solution of blue vitriol (cupric sulphate) on 
the ground. Ten grammes of blue vitriol to a quart of 
water is given as the proper mixture. Ordinary soap-suds 
#is good for the same purpose, and, if the water is pretty 
warm, it acts all the quicker. There is little danger of 
scalding the bait, for the water cools very rapidly when 
dashed on the ground. I have frequently noticed the 
earth-worms crawling around where the laundresses have 
emptied their tubs. Cold, fresh water will doubtless have 
the same effect, though possibly the worms will take more 
time in making their appearance upon the surface. 



I20 



Spring 



In a publication of the Lakeside Library, called " Fish 
and Fishing," the following directions are given for pre- 
serving worms for bait : 

" Procure some fresh mutton suet, cut it fine, and boil it 
in a quart of water till dissolved ; then dip into this two or 
three large pieces of coarse, new wrapper, large enough to 
supply each variety of worms, which should not be mixed 
together. When these are cold, put them into separate 




Figs. 84, 85, and ,86 — The Young and Adult Corydalus. 

earthern jars, with some damp earth and the vv^orms which 
are to be kept, and tie over all a piece of open, coarse 
muslin." 

Hellgramites, Bogerts, Hojack, Dobsons, or Clippers. 

The first one of these frightful, black, squirming creat- 
ures that I ever remember of seeing, inspired me with a 
terror it has taken years to overcome. I was bathing in a 
pool in the little muddy stream of Bank-lick, near Coving- 
ton, Ky. I had advanced far enough in the art of swim- 
ming only to be able, with safety, to swim across the pool. 



Bait, Live and Dead 121 

While I was about half way across on one of these trips, 
a sudden pinch on my back announced the fact that I had 
been attacked by some native of the stream. 

I looked over my shoulder in alarm, and there I saw 
what was to me then an unknown animal. It was about as 
long as my finger, black as could be, and apparently with 
as many legs as a centipede. It had fastened its pincers 
in my back, and hung on until I reached the opposite 
shore, where one of my companions picked it off, to my 
great relief. 

Since then I learned that this was only a good black bass 
bait which had so terrified me, and that, although it can 
pinch quite sharply, it is a harmless insect. 

Another Adventure. 

The next adventure I had with a hellgramite was at 
Niagara Falls. It was when the old tower still stood upon 
a rock on the brink of the cataract, but a large sign marked 



DANGER ! 



warned all visitors off the bridge leading to the tower. 
Boy-like, I traversed the bridge to the point where the 
sign barred farther progress, and here I leaned upon 
the barrier and watched the green water tumble over the 
^alls. And as I watched I saw a living thing on a rock 
upon the very brink of Niagara. It was in the act of crawl- 
ing out of its old skin. There was no doubt in my mind 
that what I saw was an insect, but it was such an insect 
as I had never before encountered. Gradually it shook out 
its beautiful lace-like wings, and then I climbed over the 
danger sign, threw myself flat on the rock, reached over the 
edge, picked the insect from its giddy perch, transferred it 



122 Spring 

to my hat, put my hat on, and hastened to the hotel to 
examine my prize. 

It looked like a sort of comical dragon-fly, with very 
long pincers, which opened and closed in a most threaten- 
ing manner, but I knew the thing could do no harm, 
because it was still soft, like a soft-shell crab. This was a 
large male corydalus in its perfect form. It was a full- 
grown hellgramite, and the first adult insect of its kind I 
had ever seen. 

Fishing for Hojacks with a Net. 

From the foregoing it may be seen that this bait passes 
part of its life in the water and part in the air and on land. 
With the perfect insect we have little to do, but the ugly 
black babies we need for perch and bass, and we must catch 
them with a small dip-net made of mosquito-netting. 

Wading up stream, and coming to a flat stone, place the 
net on the down-stream side of the stone, and then lift up 
the stone. The bait that are underneath will float into the 
net. Some, however, may be glued to the stone by their 
sticky tails, and these must be picked off and placed in your 
pail or box. Along the edge of the stream in the wet 
sand or gravel, under the stones, is also a lurking-place for 
bogerts. 

The Time when Bogerts are Best. % 

About the ist of June, when the young corydalus feels 
that it is about to change into a lace-winged insect, it 
scrambles out of the water and crawls rapidly about in 
search of a suitable dressing-room, where it may change its 
clothes. The under surface of an old board, stone, or log, 
or even the undersides of the shingles of a house, not too 
far from the water, are the places chosen. At this time the 



Bait, Live and Dead 123 

insects are best suited to the purposes of the hshermen, 
being' exceedingly tough and hard to kill. One bait fre- 
quently serves to catch several fish. At this stage the hell- 
gramitcs are called crawlers. 

Within a rude earthen cell the crawler remains in a sort 
of mummy-like condition until about the ist of July, when 
it bursts forth from its shell (pupa) a perfect-winged in- 
sect. The female has short pincers and the male fero- 
cious-looking long ones. Both sexes, however, are per- 
fectly harmless. 

How to Keep Dobsons or Clippers Alive. 

Select a good wooden box, about two feet by a foot 
at the base and six inches or a foot high. Bore holes in 
the lid of the box to admit air. Cover the bottom of the 
box with dry gravel, and dump in your dobsons, clippers, 
bogerts, or hellgramites, as the larva or young corydalus 
is variously called, according to the part of the country 
you happen to be in. Keep the box in a dark, cool place. 

I have kept hellgramites in a box of this description 
for thirty days without losing a single insect, all of them 
being apparently tougher and livelier at the end of a month 
than they were when first placed in the box, 

Mr. J. Harrington Keene, in Harper s Young People, says 
that hellgramites can be kept alive in a can in which some 
water has been placed and damp moss added, but I doubt 
if the bait will live as long and be as strong and healthy 
kept in this way as they are when kept dry. 

White Grub-Worms. 

These are the young or larvse of beetles, and may be 
found by digging in rich soil or in old rotten logs and 
stumps. They make good bait for trout, bass, perch, cat- 



124 



spring 



fish, and sunfish. Keep them in the manner described for 
Iceeping the earth, angle, or garden worm. 

Gentles, or Young Blue-Bottle Flies 

are not pleasant creatures to look upon, or pleasant to 
capture, or pleasant to handle. But there is no accounting 
for tastes. It is evident that fish do not look upon the 
white carrion-eating baby-flj in the same light that we do, 




Fig. 87.— The White Grub. 

for they are very fond of gentles ; and from quaint old 
Walton down to the present time this little grub has been, 
and still is, used for bait. The beautiful, dainty, red spotted 
trout, in his cool spring-water stream, is passionately fond 
of the larvce of the blue-bottle fly. If you are camping 
out or living near your fishing-grounds, take any old offal 
and put it in an old can, bucket, or other deep vessel in a 
shady out-of-the-way place, where mink or other small 
animals will not disturb it. 

Wandering blue-bottle flies will soon discover the tempt- 
ing display and deposit their eggs in it, and in a few 



Bait, Live and Dead 125 

days there will be plenty of bait. When they are full 
grown carefully remove them by gently knocking the larvse 
with a stick on a piece of birch bark or paper. 

How to Keep the Trout Bait. 

Place them in a box of sand or bran. Here they will 
soon cleanse themselves and become of a milk-white hue, 
losing all their disgusting features. Keep them in a 
damp, cool place to stop them from maturing, or going into 
the chrysalis state, preparatory to becoming blue-bottle 
flies. 

Katydids 

are very difficult to obtain in quantity sufficient for use as 
bait, on account of their habits of living in trees. Once, 
when I was fishing among the Thousand Islands, in the 
St. Lawrence River, I became wear}^ of trolling for big 
muskallonge that would not bite, and made the guide put 
me ashore upon a little rocky island, covered with small 
shrubber;y and stunted trees. These I found to be full of 
great, green, handsome katydids. I soon filled my hand- 
kerchief with them, and in less than one hour's time caught 
a good string of fish of assorted kinds, but principally fine 
bass. 

Among other things, I caught the largest fresh-water 
eel I have ever seen; but as I was dressed in summer- 
resort fishing clothes, and feared the effects of eel slime on 
tny trousers, I cut the eel loose, allowing him to depart in 
peace with my hook in his mouth. 

Black Crickets. 

V These are good bait for almost all kinds of game fish, 
and are killing bait for bass and trout. Frequently, when 



126 



spring 



bass will not notice a live minnow, crawfish, hellgramite, 
or frog, he will eagerly snap at a black cricket. 

There is but one way to catch this bait, so far as I know, 
and that is to seek it under the loose stones and chips, 
where crickets delight to hide. I have had the best luck 
in open, sunny spots, hilltops, and pathways. Mr. Keene, 
in his interesting notes on bait in Harper s Young People, 
advises his readers to look for crickets in a cool, damp 
place ; but he evidently found them, as I have, under chips 




Fig. 88.— Crickets. 

and stones. Mr. Keene caught one hundred and twenty- 
four trout in one stream with black crickets. 

Handle your crickets with care, not for fear that they 
might hurt you, but because the}^ are easily injured, and 
their usefulness is thus impaired. After you have col- 
lected a sufficient quantity for your purpose, hasten to 
place them in some roomy receptacle, the bottom of which 
is plentifully supplied with damp gravel and small chips 
for hiding-places. Otherwise they will eat each other. 



Grasshoppers 

are another good bait. Often a fish will take hold of 
a grasshopper when nothing else will tempt him to bite. 



Bait, Live and Dead 



127 



Every boy knows where and how to catch these long- 
legged insects, but to keep them alive for any great length 
of time is more difficult. 




Fig. 89. — The Grasshopper. 



How to Make a Grasshopper Box. 

Take an old cigar box, make a square hole about two by 
three inches in the lid ; cover the hole with a piece of wire 
netting. Make another hole just large enough to admit a 
finger. Make a sliding door of a small paddle-shaped piece 
of wood, fastened with a screw at one end in such a manner 
as to allow the other end to slide over the hole (Fig. 90). 
Half fill the box with green 
grass. 

" Lampers." 

This is the fisherman's 
name for what is generally 
known as the lamprey eel, 
and what is generally 
known as lamprey eel is no 
eel at all. In spite of all 
this, the " lampers " are 

great bait for bass. Near Binghamton, last summer, with 
a good lamprey for bait, I caught a bass weighing four 
pounds, two ounces, and my friend, Mr. James Johnson, 




Fig. 90. — A, the sliding door ; B, the grass- 
hopper hole ; C, the air window pro- 
tected by wire netting. 




1 28 spring 

caught several weighing over three pounds, while Mr. 
Johnson's wife landed a six-pounder ! These fish were all 

weighed, measured, and recorded 
with their outlines in Mr. John- 
son's book, kept for that purpose. 
I say this because any one who has 
fished for black bass knows that a 
Fig. 9i-The"Lamper.' thrcc-pound fish can scud a thrill 
down the spine of even old fisher- 
men, and that the "four-pounders" are generally the fish 
caught around the camp-fire, and not the real live fish of 
the streams. 

Habits of the Lamprey. 

Last summer's experience compels me to speak of the 
lamprey with the greatest respect. If the fish are pas- 
sionately fond of the lamprey, the lamprey is also passion- 
ately fond of fish, especially of shad, as may be seen from 
the following interesting account, which appeared in the 
New York Sun about the time 1 was making my first trial 
with them tor bait. 

" The lamprey leaves the ocean in great numbers in March, proceeds 
to the head of tide-water in the rivers, and there actually lies in wait among 
the rocks for the shad that will soon be pushing their way up stream to 
spawn. The lamprey follows the shad on this interesting journey, fastening 
itself to the delicate fish by its mouth, which is simply an armed sucking 
disc with extraordinary adhesive power. The lamprey is always found 
fastened at the orifice from which the shad drops her eggs, and from which 
it sucks the roe, at the same time rasping the tender flesh of the fish with 
its sharp-toothed tongue, drawing blood from the shad to wash down the 
raped roe into its maw. The shad having by June become of little profit to 
the lamprey, the latter sets about attending to its own family affairs. 

" The female lamprey builds her nest in a swift current, making an 
excavation sometimes two feet deep. She frequently removes as much as a 



Bait, Live and Dead 129 

wheelbarrow load of stones in preparing her nest. She has such strength 
that she can haul up from the bottom stones weighing five pounds or more. 
Gluing her mouth to a stone, she works backward, drawing the stone after 
her. John G. Sawyer, of Sawmill Rift, once speared a lamprey in the 
Delaware as she was in the act of hauling up a stone in this way, and so 
firmly attached was she to the stone that it was lifted into the boat with her, 
she being pulled out of the water by the tail. 

" The male lamprey hovers about the spot while his mate is building the 
nest, watching her tugging away at the stones, but never offering any aid. 
As soon as the big nest is ready the female lamprey deposits her eggs in it, 
and swims away and dies. I can remember when the shores of the upper 
Delaware were lined, during the month of June, with dead lampreys and 
dead shad. As soon as hatched the young lampreys go ashore and bury 
themselves in the sand, where they are found by eager fishermen, who seek 
them for bait for other fish. 

" Properly cooked, the lamprey is good. There isn't a bone nor a 
suspicion of a bone in it. Place a lamprey in the sun and keep it there, 
and it will melt like so much butter, the only evidence that it ever existed 
being a grease-spot. A peculiarity of the lamprey's flesh is that, although 
it will melt away in the sun, it becomes tough when put in the frying-pan 
over a fire, and becomes tougher and tougher the longer it is fried. The 
only way it can be cooked so as to be fit for the table is by stewing it." 



How to Catch Lampreys. 

This is downright hard work, and anyone who digs his 
own lampreys earns all the fun he derives from their use 
as bait. With a spade in hand he wades in the water above 
his knees, and digs the soft sand and mud from the bottom, 
quickly throwing the contents of the shovel on the bank, 
where a companion looks it over for young lampreys. It 
takes a strong man to lift one of the shovels full of water 
and mud clear of the water. To buy lampreys is expen- 
sive, for no man we could find would dig them for less 
than four cents apiece, and some charged ten cents apiece 

for them. 

9 



130 spring 



How to Keep Lampreys. 

Put them in the ice-chest in a pail of aquatic grass and 
ice, or, where it is possible, make a long, wooden box, and 
cover the bottom with clean sand. Set the box where the 
water from a spring can run through holes bored in the 
sides near the top for that purpose. Other holes in the 
opposite sides near the top allow the overflow water to run 
off. Have a good cover for your box, and wire netting- 
over the air- and water-holes, or you will discover that 
some land animals are almost as fond of your expensive 
bait as the bass are. 

This box is also an excellent contrivance for keeping 
bull-heads and other minnows alive. The wire netting 
over the holes keeps out the garter and other snakes that 
need only a hint to avail themselves of the opportunity of 
feeding on )^our bull-heads. 

Lampreys are expensive to buy, to keep, and to handle. 
When taken out of the box to use, put them in a pail with 
grass and some big pieces of ice, and cover the whole up 
well with something to protect it from the sun. When you 
take a bait out you will find him so numb that it is not 
difficult to bait him. After he is once overboard, the warm 
water thaws him out so that he becomes exceedingly lively 
and tempting to the iish. 

Frogs 

are highly esteemed as bait by many fishermen, and there 
is no doubt that some fish are fond of them, and that most 
fish w^ill bite at them at times. Wall-eyed pike, or Jack 
salmon, as these fish are called in Ohio, pickerel, bass, and 
large perch are caught with half-grown and not infre- 
quently with full-grown frogs. 



Bait, Live mid Dead 



131 



How to Bait a Live Frog. 

Some fishermen put the hook through the frog's lips, 
some through the web of one foot, some through the skin 
of the leg at the thigh, and others through the skin of the 
back. For m}^ part, a live frog is a very unpleasant bait. 
Its human-like form and its desperate struggles to free 
itself by grasping the hook with its queer little hands, are 
too suggestive of suffering. 

To those who wish to use this bait, however, it will be a 
comfort to know that it is claimed that the frog is really 




Fig. 92. — Frogs. 

less sensitive to pain than many other baits. As a rule, you 
should put a heavy sinker on your line when using a live 
frog, and frequently lift him out of the water, so that he may 
have a chance to breathe. 

At times, under certain conditions, it is an excellent plan 
to remove all sinkers and allow the frog to swim at will 
until he is gobbled up by some big fish which has been 
quietly resting under an old log or the lily-pads, watching 
for some foolish creature to swim by his ambush. 

How to Catch Frogs. 

One way is to walk alongside of the stream or pond and 
drive the frogs into the water. They will not go far, but 



132 spring 

make great pretensions of doing so, and kick up the mud 
so as to deceive and blind you as to their real hiding-place. 
A few moments' waiting, however, will allow the mud to 
settle, and then, near the shore, you will see a suspicious 
lump of mud, and you need not doubt that the frog has 
doubled on his track to mislead you. It may be that from 
this lump of mud two bulging eyes appear. At any rate 
quietly slip your hand in the water, and with a quick 
motion grasp the lump, and you will have the frog. 

Some boys acquire great skill in catching live animals. 
When I was a small chap I watched with interest the 
movements of a cat while in pursuit of birds, and dis- 
covered that its plan of action was simply this : slow, 
deliberate movement, with frequent and long pauses when- 
ever the prey showed signs of alarm, no violent motion 
until the game was within reach ; then a sudden stroke with 
a curved paw and extended nails seldom failed to grapple 
or hook the victim. 

Long I pondered over this, and then began a series of 
experiments, and could soon proudly boast of the capture 
with bare hands of a gray squirrel, several pigeons, a cage 
full of gold-finches, turtles and frogs b}^ the gross — not 
little, half-grown frogs, but great yellow-throated, green- 
backed, full-grown bull-frogs. 

Once I crept up upon a big Virginia horned owl, and 
could undoubtedly have caught him, but I was a little chap, 
and when I looked at his great hooked talons my heart 
failed me, and I simply pushed him off his perch and fled 
as the astonished owl silently flew away. Since then I have 
seen a Virginia horned owl sink his talons through a heavy 
cowhide shoe. 

In such parts of the country where the streams have 
muddy margins and over-hanging banks, the boys walk along 



Bait, Live and Dead 133 

the bank, and when they see a frog squatting- in the mud 
below, throw a piece of wood at it and bury the frog in the 
mud, where it is easily captured. 

Red Flannel Frog-bait. 

A full-grown frog will bite at almost any object that 
moves near it, except a snake. In some experiments I 
made with two frogs they both showed great alarm when 
a little baby garter-snake was put in the same aquarium 
with them. Yet one of these frogs afterward swallowed 
his mate, and attempted the same feat with my young 
alligator. Taking advantage of this desire of the frog to 
put himself outside of everything that moves, the boys bait 
their hooks with bits of red liannel, and dance the gaudy 
cloth in front of the frog's nose until he grabs it, and the 
hook grabs him. 

Three Hooks 

knitted together like a grapple, and fastened to a short line 
on a long pole, will enable the boy to catch frogs a long 
Avay from shore, among the lily-pads. The hook will not 
alarm the frog in the least, and a sudden jerk of the line 
when the hooks are under the frog will never fail to bring 
him kicking through the air safely ashore. Any sort of 
small live creature can be caught with these grapple hooks. 

How to Keep Frogs. 

Put them in a covered vessel of any kind that will hold 
water, but do not make the common mistake of filling or 
half filling the vessel with water, or you will drown all 
your frogs. Put a lot of gravel, mud, moss, or sand in the 
bottom of your frog-bucket, and add onl}^ enough water 
to saturate thoroughly the material at the bottom of your 
bucket. Use a perforated tin or wooden cover that will 



134 



Spring 



admit plenty of air, or a cover made of wire netting, or an 
old piece of mosquito netting, or any other cloth with open 
meshes that will admit plenty of air. 

In such a home the frogs will retain their health and 
vigor for any length of time. I have kept them for over a 
year alive and apparently happy. It is not necessary to feed 
them more than once in three weeks, so you need have no 
fear of starving them ; as it is, you will seldom want to keep 
them longer than a week. 

Live Minnows. 

This bait, on the whole, is more satisfactory than any 
other live bait. It is more easily obtained than lampreys, 




Fig. 93. — Live Bait. 

is not as disagreeable to handle as insects and worms, and 
either suffers less, or at least appears to suffer less, than the 
frogs. Possibly a hook may hurt a minnow as badly as it 
does a frog, but the little fish has not the power of showing 
his discomfort or suffering so graphically. Besides all this, 
if you bait a minnow through the lips it can cause no more 
pain than cutting your own finger-nail. 

To me the minnow is the king of live bait. When, as a 
child, I used to visit my grandmother in Northern Ohio, I 
was delighted to find the little brooks full of small fish, 
with bright red stripes on their sides. These are the 



Bait, Live and Dead 135 

famous " painted " minnow, and form excellent bait for the 
big black bass of Lake Erie. 

How to Catch Minnows. 

Where the bait is in small streams, the best thing to use 
is a rectangular net, with corks on the top edge and sinkers 
on the bottom, the net attached to two poles, one at each 
end. A home-made minnow net is described in the " Ameri- 
can Boy's Handy Book." Take off your shoes and stock- 
ings and wade in the brook, one boy at each pole ; slant the 
tops of the hand-pole down stream, being careful to keep 
the lower edge of the net on the bottom. Now mxove up 
stream, carefully plodding your way along so as not to foul 
your net on snags and stones in the bottom. 

When you think 3^ou have gone far enough, bring one 
end of the net quickly but carefully around to the shore 
where the other end is. Slide the bottom of the net up 
to the dry land and lift it all out of water. One haul 
should be enough to fill your minnow-bucket. 

How to make a minnow-bucket is also described in the 
" American Boy's Handy Book; " but, since the introduc- 
tion of cheap wire netting in the market, any boy who calls 
himself an American should be able 

To Construct a Serviceable Minnow-bucket 

by taking an ordinary tin pail and making a wire-netting 
cylinder that will fit loosely inside the tin pail, then cut a 
circular piece of netting for the bottom, and fasten it 
there with copper wire. A lid can be made of the same 
material as the cylinder and hinged on with wire, so that it 
may be opened and closed at will, or secured with a staple and 
pin. The object of the open work inside the pail is to make 
it easy to change the water without losing the bait ; or the 



1 36 spring 

wire pail may be hung to the boat side in such a manner 
that the water will flow through it and keep the bait alive. 

How to Catch Minnows in Ponds, Lakes, or Deep 

Streams. 

Where the water is deep, minnows have the habit of 
congregating in great schools, and may be best captured 
with dip-nets, either by sinking them and waiting until the 
bait gathers over them, or by sinking the nets and then 
coaxing the bait over the traps by means of a handful of 
bread or cracker crumbs. A favorite, but slow, method in 
Pike County, Penn., is to fish for the minnows among the 
lily-pads with a small hook and piece of thread attached to 
a switch, and baited with a wee bit of an angle-worm, fish, 
or fresh-water mussel. 

How to Keep Minnows Alive. 

Keep them in a box similar to the one described for 
lamprey eels, or in a wooden box perforated with small 
holes and sunk in shallow water, or in a box made of wire 
netting and sunk in shallow water. Always be careful to 
fasten the box securely, because mink and coons have a 
disagreeable way of robbing minnow-boxes that are care- 
lessly fastened and what they leave the water-snakes devour. 
I have more than once lost more than a pailful of minnows 
in one night in what appeared to be a most mysterious 
manner, until the imprint of little hand-like feet in the 
muddy banks near my box gave me a clew to the robber. 
In transporting minnows b}^ rail or wagon they will live in 
a crowded bucket, because the agitation of the water keeps 
it fresh, but as soon as a long stop is made they will all die, 
unless the water is frequently changed. 



Bait, Live and Dead 



137 



Crawfish 

may be caught by a net in streams with muddy, grass- 
grown bottom, or by digging in the banks, or by lifting 
up the stones in shallow water. In lakes or ponds look for 
crawfish in the bottom, sand, or mud at the mouths of in- 
flowing brooks or springs. It is a fact not generally known 
that there are no crawfish on Long Island. 

How to Keep Crawfish Alive. 

Keep them in boxes or pails with damp moss, gravel, or 
aquatic plants. Put in only enough water to saturate the 
plants. Do not flood them. Keep in a cool, damp place. 

Miscellaneous Bait. 

Butterflies, moths, caterpillars, bumble-bees, May-flies, 
caddis-flies (Fig. 94, E), blue-bottle flies, and meal-worms, all 




Fig. 94. — The Caddis. 

make good bait at times. The last-named are to be found 
around old flour-mills, and with little trouble may be reared 
at home in musty meal. 

Looking-glass Bait. 

A fish is not a vain animal, but he is a very jealous 
creature, and looks with suspicion upon all his kind. A 



138 



Spring 



pet fish will not tolerate the introduction of a stranger in 
the aquarium, and, like a dog or a chicken, if a fish sees 

a companion secure a 
piece of food, that is 
the piece of food the 
first fish wants. 

So, I am inclined 
to place some cre- 
dence in the story of 
the Petit Journal^ to 
the effect that a Mr. 
William R. Lamb, of 
East Greenwich, R. I., 
has taken advantage 
of the jealous disposi- 
tion of the fish. By- 
fastening a mirror to 
his line below the 
hook, he deceives the 

a^t^>^ivtt fis^^ \ki2i\- may come 
smelling around his 
bait. Immediately 
upon approaching the 
bait, the fish discov- 
ers his reflection in 
the glass, and hastily 
snaps at the hook, so 
as to get it before his 
rival can do so. 

According to one 
authority Mr. Lamb is an Englishman, but according to an- 
other he is an old fisherman of Greenwich, R. L It matters 
little where the inventor hails from ; here is his contrivance : 




Fig. 95. — The Envious Fish. 



Bait, Live and Dead 139 

Take a small rod with a ring in the middle and one at 
each end, and fasten a line to each ring. About six or 
eight inches above the rod bring the lines together, and 
tie them in such a manner that the two side lines are 
exactly equal, and form what your geometry would call an 
isosceles triangle, with the middle line running through the 
centre. 

If possible, procure a circular or oval mirror, about a 
foot and a half in diameter, and fasten it by a ring in the 
frame to the cross-rod. Attach your fish-line to the points 
where the three lines meet, and fasten a short line with 
hook attached to the ring at one end of the cross-rod in 
such a manner that the bait will hang in front of the glass. 

(Fig. 95.) 

Mr. Lamb claims that this scheme has proved successful, 
and there appears to be no reason why it should not. Still, 
when the novelty is worn off, it seems probable that a fish 
on the end of a clean line would feel better to the fisherman 
than one attached to a line hampered with a great, flat 
looking-glass. 

Bottom Bait — Bran and Bread. 

The buffalo-fish of the Western rivers, the German carp, 
lately introduced in many of our lakes and ponds, goldfish, 
and many other small fish, are fond of bread or dough, but 
these articles are difficult to manage, for the water washes 
them off the hook. 

I have seen fishermen on the Ohio River mix corn-meal 
with cotton, or roll it into balls, and tie them up in bits of 
mosquito netting, and bait their hook with these balls. 
Another method is to soak some bread until it is thor- 
oughly saturated, then squeeze the water out and knead it 
with bran and meal until it becomes tough, like putty. 




1 40 spring 



Dead Bait.— Meat. 

Salt pork, cut in small chunks, bits of fresh meat, and 
the refuse of fish already caught, form tempting bait for 
eels, cat-fish, and other bottom fish. 

How to Pick Up a Live Eel. 

To pick up a live eel, grasp its throat between your 
hooked first and second finger, the rest of your fist being 
doubled up. (See Fig. 96.) If there is a dry, sandy, or dusty 
spot near at hand, toss the eel into it, and again pick him 
up. This time, on account of the dust or sand, you will find 
it much less difficult to hold him. 

How to Skin Him. 

After picking him up, throw him down on the ground 
with all your force. This will stun the animal, and you 
may now take a" sharp knife and make a circular cut below 
the first or pectoral fins (Fig. 97). Then, with the finger- 
nails, peel the skin back until you can get a good hold of it 
with your hands, which you have previously covered with 
dust. 

Now take hold of the head with one hand, and strip the 
skin back with the other hand as shown in the third position 
(Fig. 98). 

Eel-tail Bait. 

When you have skinned the eel to a point about three 
or four inches above the tail, cut the tail off with a sharp 
knife, but leave it adhering to the skin. Turn back the 
skin still further, and cut off the turned-over portion of the 
skin about half way down. A sharp pair of scissors will be 
best for this purpose. 

Now take your fish-hook and run it through the flesh 



Bait, Live and Dead 



141 



Fig. 96. 



Fig. 97. 



Fig. 98. 




Fig. 99. 



Fig. 100. 



Fig. ioi. 



EE.U Jack.- 

THE L'qHT USED FOR NiGHT^PEAR IN tj, 



Figs. 96^ 97, and 98. — How to Hold and Skin an Eel. Fig. 99. — Eel Spear. 
Fig. 100. — Eel Pot. Fig. ioi. — Eel Jack for Spearing at Night. 

- - - . .. Sketched on Long Island for the American Boy's Book of Sports. 



142 



spring 




Fig. 102.— The Eel-Tail Bait. 



of the eel until the point of the hook protrudes at a point 
between one and two inches from the tip of the tail. The 
sinker, a split buck-shot, should be fastened to the snell 

just above the hook, 
and the skin must 
now be turned back 
above and cover the 
sinker. Here it 
must be tightly tied 
with waxed silk 
thread or fine twine. 
Now turn the skin 
down again so that it comes about half-way between the 
gathered end of the skin at the top and the point of the 
hook at the bottom. With a needle and some strong, well- 
waxed thread sew the edge of the skin to the body bait. 
You understand, of course, that the point where you cut 
the body of the eel off depends altogether upon the size of 
the eel used. 

The eel-tail bait is tough, and will last a long time. 
It has a beautiful bluish color that pleases the fish, and in 
trolling or casting the free end of the tail wiggles in so 
tempting a manner that it makes a very killing bait. 

How to Keep Eels for Bait. 

Put them away in jars of coarse salt. In using salted 
eels for bait it is best to soak them for an hour or so in 
fresh water. This will make them plumper and improve 
the color. 

Skittering. 

For skittering, a dead frog or dead minnow is just as 
good as a live one, inasmuch as the constant twitching of 
the pole or rod causes the bait to skitter over the surface of 



Bait, Live and Dead 143 

the water. The action is so violent that live bait never 
survive more than one or two casts. Some large fish are 
caught by skittering, and at certain times of the year no 
other method seems to meet with much success. My first 
awkward effort at skittering in Pike County, Pa., was re- 
warded with a three and one half pound bass. When you 
are fishing at such times it will be useful to know 

How to Preserve Dead Frogs or Minnows, 

so that you may keep a supply on hand. One way is to 
put your dead minnows in salt, or in sugar, or in alcohol 
and water, or in whiskey, gin, or rum. But sweet-oil will 
keep them firm and fresh for perhaps the greatest length of 
time. Put the frogs or minnows in a pail of oil and this 
into a pot of boiling water, and keep it there until the oil 
reaches the boiling point. Then immediately remove it. 
Do not boil your bait, or you will make it soft, tender, and 
unfit for use. 

Other Bait. 

Boys, as a rule, are all fond of fishing, and, furthermore, 
are almost without exception bait fishermen, leaving the 
use of artificial flies, spoon-hooks, and other like devices to 
their fathers and older brothers. 

The almost universal bait of the small boy is the earth- 
worm, garden-worm, angle-worm, or fish-worm, as it is 
variously called ; but there are other equall}^ as good, if not 
better, baits named in this chapter, so that the boys may 
not be at a loss for lack of knowledge of what to use as bait. 

As a rule, almost any small live creature will serve in an 
emergency. Even live mice make good bait for large trout, 
and I have known fish to swallow small birds that fell in 
the water while fighting. Cheese is a good bait for chubs, 



144 



Spring 



and boiled shrimp for perch and even salmon. Paste made 
of bread or dough and mixed with mashed shrimp, or 
sweetened with sugar or honey and colored red to attract 
attention, Isaac Walton and some modern writers claim 
is good for dace, carp, etc. 

Fish-spawn is called a poacher's bait. Caddis-worms, to 
be found in the bottom of ponds and brooks, are a killing bait. 
Caddis-worms build themselves little log-cabins or houses 
of stone, which they carry around, as a snail does its shell. 
They may be picked off the underside of stones and plants, 
and kept in a can with wet moss or aquatic plants (Fig. 94, 
A, C, B and D). 

Fish bite when they are so inclined, and no bait that I 
have ever used is certain to tempt them. I have used live 
hellgramites and minnows with no luck, while a boy beside 
me caught a four-pound bass on an angle-worm. Experi- 
ence, observation, and an assortment of bait are what fill 
your fish-basket. 




Fig. 103. — Bottom Fishing (?), 



CHAPTER XI 
COMMON-SENSE PRECAUTIONS IN FISHING 

Why and How Fish are Easily Frightened— The Lessons of Nature 
and of Experience. 

If you will sit perfectly quiet on the bank of a clear 
stream or lake, it will not be long before the inhabitants 
of the water will venture out of their hiding-places and 
swim around in plain view of the observer. What does 
this mean? If you shoot a pistol over your head, and 
make no quick motion with your arms or hands, even 
then the creatures under the water will not flee. What 
does this mean ? 

Of course, my reader can answer for himself that all 
this means that sound has not much, if any, effect upon the 
fish, but that their eyes are quick to detect the slightest 
suspicious movement overhead or on shore. If you are in 
a boat and make a noise with your feet or anchor, the case 
is different, because you jar the water and that frightens 
the fish, but if )^ou sit still, you may talk with no danger of 
alarming the game. 

Some may doubt this ; nevertheless, I have fired a pistol 
over the water and killed a frog with the bullet without 
alarming the other frogs or the fish in plain sight. But as 
soon as I made a movement to gain possession of the dead 
frog, not only all the other frogs plumped into the water 
and all the turtles slipped off the logs where they had been 



1 46 spring 

peacefully baking their backs in the sun, but every fish in 
sight darted away to be out of reach of the dangerous two- 
legged animal they saw approaching. 

Nature as a Teacher. 

The inference is that we must keep as motionless as 
possible when fishing, and when compelled to move, do so 
with great deliberation. If any one of my readers has ever 
watched a black-crested night-heron or any kindred bird as 
it fished in the shallow water, the motionless poise or the 
slow, deliberate movement of the bird could not have 
escaped notice. When you want to learn nature's secrets 
go to nature to find them out. Watch how the hunters 
with four legs and fishers with feathers act, and the nearer 
)^ou conform your methods to theirs the greater will be 
your success. 

It is understood, of course, that in fiy-fishing, casting, 
and skittering, motion is constant and unremitting, but 
even then the better you are concealed, the better will 
be 3'^our luck. 

In the woods of Pike County, Pa., there is a bright, 
noisy little brook that comes gabbling and gurgling down 
the mountain-side, now diving under moss-covered roots, 
and hiding a while, only to jump out and surprise you in an 
unlooked-for spot. After rambling along in a happ3''-go- 
lucky manner under the deep shade of tall pine-trees, it 
suddenly leaves the woods and sweeps out in a broad, deep 
pool into a pasture-field. 

Out of Sight of the Pool. 

Fishing down this stream a few summers ago, I came 
suddenly upon the pasture, but in place of climbing the 



Common-Sense Precautions in Fishing 147 

fence, I cautiously poked my rod through the bushes until 
my fly hung directly over the spot where I supposed the 
pool to be. Then I gently allowed the fly to settle down, 
and I only knew when it struck the water by the sudden 
pull on the line. 

Without once seeing the pool, I landed fourteen fine 
trout ; there were no very large ones. But I had enough 
fish for breakfast and returned home. 



Effect of Being Seen. 

The next time I visited the brook I fished up the stream, 
and when I struck the pasture I climbed the fence and cast 
my fly from the bank ; but I had been seen, and not one 
trout came near my hook. 

In approaching this hole on my first trip I was shouting 
and breaking my way through the underbrush with great 
noise, purposely, in order to make my whereabouts known 
to a companion, who was somewhere in the glen. The 
last time I made no noise, but approached on tiptoe. The 
first time I was unseen, and I think that I could, had I 
wished, have taken every trout out of that pool. But when 
they saw me on the second occasion, I had better gone on 
my way and not wasted time by fishing for panic-stricken 
trout. There is but one big trout in this brook and I hope 
some day to land him ; he is in a round, deep hole in 
an open, exposed place, devoid of shelter, besides which 
the hole is a network of strong sunken sticks, a veritable 
snare for a fisherman's line ; and the only apparent way 
to catch him is with a strong line and a sudden jerk. Yet 
this trout has not lived for years in his hole for nothing, 
and it is probable if any one ever captures him, it will be 
by meeting cunning with cunning, and not by brute force. 



148 spring 



Trolling with a Spoon. 

In trolling, the longer the line the better, for the very 
palpable reason that the boat frightens the fish, but with a 
long line the fish has time to recover from his fright before 
the spoon comes glinting by him. Of course, a spoon 
does not look like any sort of a live creature when it is 
stationary, but a darting silver sheen is all that can be seen 
in the water, and that does look like a very brilliant and 
very lively young fish disporting himself with youthful 
impudence under the very noses of his cannibalistic grand- 
sires ; and it is no wonder they snap at it, if only to teach 
the young rascal a lesson. But, alas! they find that they 
are the pupils in the severe school of experience, and 
seldom do they live to relate their adventure to their 
companions. 

A Word about Fly-fishing. 

Now, in regard to fly-fishing, fly-rods, reels, lines, hooks, 
fly-hooks, and all the numerous accessories of the modern 
fisherman, there are books and books written upon such 
subjects, and there is not room here for a hundredth part 
of what might be and has been well said upon these 
topics; but bait -fishing and bottom- or still-fishing are 
the choice methods for boys, and could not be well left 
out of the spring sports. 



CHAPTER XII 
AQUATIC SPORTS 

Rowing Clothes — How to Make a Bathing-suit — How to Avoid Sun- 
burn — Points about Canoeing. 

From the parent's point of view, nowhere that a boy's 
restless nature impels him to go is fraught with so much 
peril as the water, and nowhere is a boy happier than when 
he is on the water, unless it is when he is in it. Nowhere 
can be found a better school for his young mind and body 
than that furnished by boating. Hence it appears to be 
the imperative duty for parents personally to see that 
their children are taught to swim as soon as their little 
limbs have strength enough to make the proper motions. 

Boating Clothes. 

In aquatic sports of all kinds, if you expect to have fun, 
you must dress appropriately. You should have a suit 
of old clothes that you can change for dry ones when 
the sport is over. When boating, it is nonsense to pre- 
tend you can keep dry under all the varying conditions 
of wind and weather. If your purse is small, and you 
want a good rowing-suit, it can be made of last winter's 
woollen underclothes, and will answer for the double 
purpose of rowing and bathing. 



152 Summer 



How to Make a Bathing-suit. 

First take an old woollen undershirt and cut the sleeves 
off above the elbows. Then coax your mother, aunt, or 
sister to sew it up in front like a sweater, and hem the 
edges of the sleeves where they have just been cut off. 

Next take a pair of woollen drawers and have them 
sewed up in front, leaving an opening at the top about four 
inches in length; turn the top edge down all around to 
cover a piece of tape, that should be long enough to tie in 
front. Have this hem or flap sewed down to cover the 
tape, and allow the two ends of the tape to protrude at 
the opening in front. The tape should not be sewed to 
the cloth, but should move freely, so that you can tighten 
or loosen it at will. Cut the drawers off at the knees and 
have the edges hemmed, and you will have a first-class 
bathing- or rowing-suit. 

If woollen clothes are not to be had, cotton will do, but 
wool is coolest and warmest as the occasion may require. 

When rowing wear old socks, woollen ones if you have 
them, and old shoes cut down like slippers. The latter can 
be kicked off at a moment's notice, and, if lost, they are of 
no value, and may be easily replaced. 

When on shore along pair of woollen stockings to cover 
your bare legs and a sweater to pull over your sleeveless 
shirt are handy and comfortable, but while sailing, pad- 
dling, or rowing in hot weather the rowing-suit is generally 
all that comfort requires. Of course, if your skin is tender, 
you are liable to be terribly sunburned on your arms, neck, 
and legs, but 

Sunburn 

may be avoided by gradually accustoming your limbs 
to the exposure. Dearly will you pay for your negligence 



Aquatic Shorts 153 



if you go out for a day with bare arms or legs in the hot 
sun before you have toughened yourself, and little will 
you sleep that night. 

I have seen young men going to business the day fol- 
lowing a regatta with no collars on their red necks, and 
no shirt over their soft undershirts, the skin being too 
tender to bear the touch of the stiff, starched linen, and 
I have known others who could not sleep a wink on 
account of the feverish state of their bodies, caused by 
the hot sun and a tender skin. Most boys have had some 
experience from sunburn, acquired while bathing. If care 
is taken to cover your arms and legs after about an hour's 
exposure, you will find that in place of being blistered, your 
skin will be first pink and then a faint brownish tint, which 
each succeeding exposure will deepen until your limbs will 
assume that dark, rich mahogany color of which athletes 
are so proud. This makes your skin proof against fut- 
ure attacks of the hottest rays of the sun. 

Besides the pain and discomfort of a sudden and bad 
sunburn on your arms, the effect is not desirable, as it is 
very liable to cover your arms with freckles. I have often 
seen men with beautifully bronzed arms and freckled 
shoulders, caused by going out in their shells first with 
short sleeves and then with shirts from which the sleeves 
were entirely cut away, exposing the white, tender shoul- 
ders to the fierce heat, to which it was unaccustomed. 

It is a good plan to cover the exposed parts of your 
body with sweet-oil, vaseline, mutton-tallow, beef-tallow, 
or lard. This is good as a preventive while in the sun, 
and excellent as an application after exposure. Any sort 
of oil or grease that does not contain salt is good for your 
skin. 



1 54 Summer 



Clothes for Canoeing. 

In canoeing 1 have found it convenient to dress as 1 
would in a shell-boat, but I generally have had a sweater 
and a pair of long trousers stowed away, ready to be pulled 
on over my rowing clothes when I landed. Once, when 
I neglected to put these extra clothes aboard, I was storm- 
bound up Long Island Sound, and leaving my boat, I took 
the train home, but I did not enjoy my trip, for the bare 
legs and arms and knit cap attracted more attention than 
is pleasant for a modest man. 

Do not wear laced shoes in a canoe, for experience has 
taught boating-men that about the most inconvenient articles 
of clothing to wear in the water are laced shoes. While 
swimming your feet are of absolutely no use if encased 
in this style of foot-gear, and all the work must be done 
with the arms. But if you have old slippers, they may 
be kicked off, and then you are dressed practically in 
a bathing-suit, and can swim with comfort and ease. 

Possibly these precautions may suggest the idea that a 
ducking is not at all an improbable accident, and it must be 
confessed that the boy who thinks he can learn to handle 
small boats without an occasional unlooked-for swim is 
liable to discover his mistake before he has become master 
of his craft. 

Stick to Your Boat. 

Always remember that a boy's wet head is a very small 
object in the water, and liable to be passed by unnoticed, 
but that a capsized boat can scarcely fail to attract attention 
and ensure a speedy rescue from an awkward position. 
As for the real danger of boating, it cannot be great where 
care is used. Not one fatality has occurred on the water 



Aquatic Sports 155 



among all of my large circle of boating friends, and 
personally I have never witnessed a fatal accident in all the 
years I have spent rowing and sailing. 

Life-preservers. 

All canoes should have a good cork life-preserver in 
them when the owner ventures far away from land. I 
never but once ventured any distance without one, and that 
is the only time I was ever in need of a life-preserver. The 
ordinary cork jacket is best. It can be used for a seat, 
and when spread on the bottom of your canoe, with an old 
coat or some similar article thrown over it for a cushion, it 
is not at all an uncomfortable seat. Most canoes have air- 
tight compartments fore and aft — that is, at both ends — and 
the boat itself is then a good life-preserver. Even without 
the air-tight compartments, unless your boat is loaded with 
ballast or freight, there is no danger of its sinking. A 
canvas canoe, as a rule, has enough woodwork about it 
to support your weight when the boat is full of water. 

An upset canvas canoe supported me for an hour and a 
half during a blow on Long Island Sound, and had not a 
passing steamer rescued me, the canoe would evidently 
have buoyed me up as long as I could have held onto the 
hull. 



CHAPTER XIII 



THE LAND-LUBBER'S CHAPTER 

Common Nautical Terms and Expressions Defined — How to Sail a 
Boat— Boat Rigs. 

There are a few common terms with which all who 
venture on the water should be familiar, not oni}^ for 
convenience, but for prudential reasons. 

Accidents are liable to happen to boats of all descrip- 

Port. 



Stern. 




Starboard. 
Fig. 104. — Top View of Small Boat. 

tions, and often the safety of property and life depend upon 
the passengers' ability to understand what is said to them 
by the officers or sailors in charge of the craft. 

To those who are familiar with the water and shipping 
it may seem absurd to define the bow and stern of a boat, 
but there are boys who will read this book who cannot 
tell the bow from the stern, so we will begin this chapter 
with the statement that 

The bow is the front end of the boat, and 



The Land-Lubber's Chapter 157 



The stern is the rear end of the boat. 

Fore'ard is toward the bow of the boat. 

Aft is toward the stern of the boat. Both terms are 
used by sailors as forward and backward are used by 
landsmen. 

The hull is the boat itself without masts, spars, or 
rigging. A skiff and a birch bark canoe are hulls. 

The keel is the piece of timber running along the 
centre of the bottom of the hull, like the runner of a skate, 
and used to give the boat a hold on the water, so that 
she will not slide sideways. 

When you are sitting in the stern of a boat, facing 
the bow, the side next to 37^our right hand is the right- 
hand side of the boat, and the side next to your left hand is 
the left-hand side of the boat ; but these terms are not 
used by seamen ; they always say 

Starboard for the right-hand side of the boat, and 

Port for the left-hand side of the boat. Formerly the 
left-hand side was called the larboard, but this occasioned 
many serious mistakes on account of the similarity of the 
sound of larboard and starboard when used in giving 
orders. 

Red and Green Lights. 

After dark a red light is carried on the port side and 
a green light on the starboard side of all vessels in motion. 
If you can remember that port wine is red, and that the 
port light is of the same color, you will always be able 
to tell in which direction an approaching craft is pointing 
by the relative location of the lights. 

" When both hghts you see ahead, 
Port your helm and show your red ! 
Green to green and red to red, 
Your're all right, and go ahead ! " 



158 



Summer 



If you are a real land-lubber, the verse quoted will be 
of little service, because you will not know how to port 
your helm. In fact, you probably will not know where 




Fig. 105. — Helm — Lever, or Stick for Tiller. 

to look for the helm or what it looks like ; but only a few 
of our readers are out-and-out land-lubbers, and most of 
them know that the helm is in some way connected with 
the steering apparatus. 

The rudder is the movable piece of board at the stern 
of the boat by means of which the craft is guided. The 
rudder is moved by a lever, ropes, or a wheel. 

The tiller is the lever for moving the rudder, or the 
ropes used for the same purpose (Fig. 105). 

The wheel is the wheel whose spokes end in handles on 
the outer edge of the rim or felly, and it is used for moving 
the rudder (Fig. 106). 

The helm is that particular part of the steering appa- 
ratus that you put your hands on when steering. 

The deck is the roof of the hull. 



The Land- Lubber' s Chapter 



159 



The centre-board is an adjustable keel that can be 
raised or lowered at pleasure. It is an American invention. 
The centre-board, as a rule, is only used on comparatively 
small vessels. Mr. Joseph H. Tooker, in a note to the 
New York Sun, November 24, 1895, says that the inventor 
of the centre-board is Mr. Salem Wines, who kept a shop 
on Water Street, near Market Slip, and, when alive was a 
well-known New York boat-builder. His body now lies in 
Greenwood Cemetery, and upon the headstone of his grave 
is the inscription, "The Inventor of the Centre-Board." 

For sailing, the boat or hull is rigged with masts and 
spars for spreading the sails to catch the wind. 




Fig. 106.— Helm— The Wheel. 



The masts are the upright poles or sticks that hold the 
sails. 

The yards are the poles or sticks at right angles with 
the masts that spread the sails. 



i6o 



Summer 




Fig. 107.— a Sail. 



The boom is the movable spar at the bottom of the sail. 
The gaff is the pole or spar for spreading the top 
or head of the sail (Fig. 107). 

The sail is a big canvas kite, of which the boom, gaff, 
and masts are the kite-sticks. You must not understand 
by this that the sail goes soaring up in the 
air, for the weight of the hull prevents that; 
but if you make fast a large kite to the mast 
of a boat it would be a sail, and if you had 
a line long and strong enough, and should 
fasten any spread sail to it, there can be no 
doubt that the sail would fiy. 

The spars are the masts, bowsprit, yards, 
and gaffs. 

The bowsprit is the stick or sprit projecting from the 
bow of the boat (Fig. 137, Sloop). 

The foremast is the mast next to the bow — the forward 
mast (Fig. 135, Ship). 

The mainmast is the second mast — the mast next to 
the foremast. 

Mizzen-mast is the mast next to and back of the 
mainmast (Fig. 135, Ship). 

The rigging of a boat consists of the ropes or lines 
attached to its masts and sails, but a boat's rig refers 
to the number of masts as well as to the shape of its sails. 
Stays are strong ropes supporting the masts, fore and aft. 
Shrouds are strong ropes reaching from the mast- 
heads to the sides of the vessel ; supports for the masts, 
starboard and port. 

Ratlines are the little ropes that form the steps or 
foot ropes that run cross-wise between the shrouds. 

The painter is the rope at the bow of a small boat, 
used for the same purpose as is a hitching-strap on a horse. 



The Land- Lubber s Chapter 



i6i 



The standing rigging consists of the stays and shrouds. 

The running rigging, of all the ropes used in handling 
yards and sails. 

The sheets are the ropes or lines attached to the 
corners of sails, by which they are governed (Fig. io8). 

The main sheet is the rope that governs the mainsail. 

The jib sheet is the rope that governs the jib sail. 

The gaskets are the ropes used in lashing the sails 
when furled. 

The braces are the ropes used in swinging the yards 
around. 

The jib stay is the stay that runs from the foremast to 
the bowsprit. 

The bob stay is practically an extension of the jib stay 
and the chief support of the 
spars. It connects the bow 
of the boat with the bov/- 
sprit and prevents the lat- 
ter from bobbing up and 
down. 

Besides the port and 
starboard sides of a boat 
there are the windward and 
leeward sides. Do not un- 
derstand by this that the 
boat has four sides like a 
square. Windward may 
be the port or the starboard 
side, according to the di- 
rection the wind blows ; 
becauso 

Windward means the side of the boat against which the 
wind blows ; the side where the wind climbs aboard ; or it 




Fig. io8. — Sail and Sheet. 



1 62 Slimmer 

may mean the direction from which the wind comes. The 
opposite side is called 

Leeward — that is, the side of the boat opposite to that 
against which the wind blows, Avhere the wind tumbles 
overboard, or the side opposite to windward. When you 
are sailing you may be near a 

Lee Shore. — That is, the shore on your lee side against 
which the wind blows, or a 

Windward Shore. — That is, the land on your windward 
side from which the wind blows. 

All seamen dread a lee shore, as it is a most dangerous 
shore to approach, from the fact that the wind is doing its 
best to blow you on the rocks or beach. But the windward 
shore can be approached with safety, because the wind 
will keep you off the rocks, and if it is blowing hard, the 
land will break the force of the wind. 

In a canoe or shell the boatman sits either directly on 
the bottom, or, as in the shell, very close to it, and the 
weight of his body serves to keep the boat steady, but lar- 
ger crafts seldom rely upon live weights to steady them. 
They use 

Ballast. — That is, weights of stone, lead, iron, or sand- 
bags used to balance the boat and make her steady. 

As has been said before in this chapter, the sail is a big 
canvas kite made fast to the boat, and called a sail, but the 
ordinary kite has its covering stretched permanently on 
rigid sticks. 

The sail, however, can be stretched to its full extent or 
only partially, or it may be rolled up, exposing nothing 
but the masts to the force of the wind. To accomplish all 
this there are various ropes and attachments, all of which 
are named. 



The Land- Lubber's Chapter 



163 



It is quite important that the young sailor should 
know the names of all the 

Parts of a Sail. 

Luff. — That part of the sail adjoining the mast — the front 
of the sail (Fig, 109). 

Leach. — That part of the sail stretched between the 
outer or after end of the 
boom and the outer end of 
the gaff — the back part of 
the sail (Fig. 109). 

Head. — That part of the 
sail adjoining the gaff — the 
top of the sail. 

Foot. — That part of the 
sail adjoining the boom — 
the bottom of the sail (Fig. 
109). 

Clews. — A general name 
for the four corners of the 
sail. 

Clew. — The particular 
corner at the foot of the sail where the leach and boom 
meet (Fig. 109). 

Tack. — The corner of the sail where boom and mast 
meet (Fig. 109). 

Throat or Nock. — The corner of the sail where gaff and 
mast meet (Fig. 109). 

Peak. — Corner of the sail where the leach and gaff 
meet (Fig. 109). 

How to Steer a Boat. 
When you wish your boat to turn to the right push 
your helm to the left. This will push the rudder to the 




Fig. 109.— Parts of Sail. 



1 64 



Summer 



right, and turn the boat in that direction. When you wish 
your boat to turn to the left push your helm to the right. 
In other words, starboard your helm and you will turn to 
the port (Fig, no). Port your helm and you will turn to 
the starboard (Fig. in). 

From a reference to the diagram you ma]^ see that 
when you port your helm you move the tiller to the 
port side of the boat, and when you starboard your helm 





Fig. iio. — Starboard Helm. 



Fig. III. — Port Helm. 



you move your tiller to the starboard side of the boat 
(Fig. no), but to ease your helm 3^ou move your helm 
toward the centre of the boat — that is, amidships. 

How to Sail a Boat. 

If you fasten the bottom of a kite to the ground, you will 
find that the wind will do its best to blow the kite over, 
and if the kite is fastened to the mast of a toy boat, the 
wind will try to blow the boat over. 

In sailing a boat the effort of the wind apparently has 



The Land- Lubber's Chapter 165 

but one object, and that is the upsetting of the boat. The 
latter being well balanced, is constantly endeavoring to 
sit upright on its keel, and you, as a sailor, are aiding the 
boat in the struggle, at the same time subverting the 
purpose of the wind to suit your own ideas. It is an 
exciting game, in which man usually comes out ahead, but 
the wind gains enough victories to keep its courage up. 

Every boat has peculiarities of its own, and good traits 
as well as bad ones, which give the craft a personal char- 
acter, that lends much to your interest, and even affects 
your sensibilities to the extent of causing you to have the 
same affection for a good, trustworthy craft that you have 
for an intelligent and kind dog or horse. 

A properly balanced sailboat, with main sheet trimmed 
flat and free helm, should be as sensitive as a weather- 
cock and act like one — that is, she ought to swing around 
until her bow pointed right into the " eye of the wind," 
the direction from which the wind blows. Such a craft it is 
not difficult to sail, but it frequently happens that the boat 
that is given to you to sail is not properly balanced, and 
shows a constant tendency to " come up in the wind" — face 
the wind — when you are doing your best to keep her sails 
full and keep her on her course. This may be caused by 
too much sail aft. The boat is then said to carry a weather 
helm. 

Weather Helm. — When a boat shows a constant ten- 
dency to come up in the wind. 

Lee Helm. — When a boat shows a constant tendency to 
fall off the wind — that is, when the wind blows her bow to 
the leeward. This is a much worse trait than the former, 
and a boat with a lee helm is a dangerous boat. It may be 
possible to remedy it by adding sail aft or reducing sail 
forward, which should immediately be done. 



1 66 Summer 

In spite of the fact, already stated, that the wind's 
constant effort is to capsize a boat, there is little or no 
danger of a properly rigged boat upsetting unless the 
sheets are fast or hampered in some way. When a sailboat 
upsets it is, of course, because the wind blows it over. 
Now, the wind cannot blow a boat over unless the boat 
presents some surface larger than its hull for the wind to 
blow against, and the sail is the only object that offers 
enough surface to the breeze to cause an upset. 

If the sheet is slackened, the sail will swing around until 
it flaps like a flag and only the thin edge is presented to 
the wind ; and a boat that a flag will upset is no boat for 
beginners to trust themselves in. True the boom may be 
very long and heavy enough to make it dangerous to let so 
much of it overboard, but this is seldom the case. A good 
sailor keeps his eyes constantly on the sails and trims them 
to take advantage of the slightest favorable breeze. In 
place of losing control of his sail by letting go the sheets 
he will ease the tiller so as to "spill " part of the wind — that 
is, let the forward part or luff of the sail shake a bit. Or, 
in case of a sudden puff of wind, he may deem it necessary 
to " luff" — that is, let her shake — and slacken the sheets, too. 

Trimmed Flat. — Sheets hauled in until the boom is only 
a little to the leeward of the helm (Fig. 112). 

Close-Hauled. — Sheets trimmed flat and the boat point- 
ing as near as possible to the eye of the wind. Then the 
sail cannot belly, and is called flat (Fig. 112). 

To Sail Close-Hauled. 

The skipper must watch that his sail does not flap or 
ripple at the throat, for that means that he is pointing too 
close to the wind and that some of the breeze is blowing on 



The Land- Lubber s Chapter 



167 



both sides of his sail, which even a novice can see will re- 
tard the boat. 

Upon discovering a rippling motion at the luff of the 
sail put the helm up — that is, move the tiller a little to wind- 
ward until the sail stops its flopping. 

Before the Wind. — When the wind is astern ; sailing 
with the wind ; sailing directly from windward to leeward 
(Fig. 113)- 





Fig. 112. — Close Hauled. 



Fig. 113. — Before the Wind. 



In order to reach the desired point it is often expedient 
to sail before the wind, but unless the wind is light, begin- 
ners had better not try this. To sail before the wind you 
let your sheets out until the boom stands at almost right 
angles with the boat. Keep your eye on the sail and see 
that it does not flap, for if the man at the helm is careless 
and allows the boat to point enough away from the direc- 
tion of the wind to allow the wind to get on the other side 
of the sail, the latter will swing around or jibe with such 



1 68 Summer 

force as to endanger the mast, if it does not knock some one 
overboard. 

The price of liberty is constant vigilance, and the price 
of a good sail is the same. I have seen a mast snapped off 
clean at the deck by a jibe, and once when out after ducks 
every one was so intent upon the game that proper at- 
tention was not paid to the sail. The wind got round 
and brought the boom with a swing aft, knocking the 
captain of our boat club overboard. Had the boom hit 
him in the head and stunned him, the result might have 
been fatal. 

Wing and Wing. — When a schooner goes before the 
wind with one sail out at nearly right angles on the port 
side and the other in the same position on the starboard 
side she is said to be wing and wing, and presents a beau- 
tiful sight. 

Tacking. — Working to the windward by a series of 
diagonal moves. 

Legs. — The moves or diagonal courses made in tacking. 
It is apparent to the most unthinking observer that no ves- 
sel propelled by sail can move against the direct course of 
the wind, that is, nothing but electricity, naphtha, steam, or 
some such power can drive a boat into the eye of the wind. 
But what cannot be accomplished in a direct manner can 
be done by a series of compromises, each of which will 
bring us nearer to the desired point. 

First we point the boat to the right or left, as the case 
may be, as near or as close to the wind as the boat will sail. 
Then we come about and sail in the other direction as 
close as practicable to the eye of the wind, and each time 
we gain something in a direct line. 

When your boat changes its direction on a tack it is 
done by " jibing " or " coming about." 



The Land- Lubber s Chapter 



169 



Jibing. — With the wind on the quarter, haul the main 
boom aft or amidships with all possible speed, by means 
of the main sheets (Fig. 115), and as the wind strikes the 



Fig. 115. — Boom 
hauled in. 





Fig. 116. — On new 
course. 




Fig. 114. — Before 
the wind. 



Figs. 114, 115 and ii6. — Jibing. 



sail on the other side let it out as deliberately as possible 
until it reaches the position desired (Fig. 116). 

Beginners should never attempt to jibe, for if there is 



170 



Sumfner 



more than a capful of wind, the sail will probably get 
away from them, and, as described in going before the 
wind, some disaster is liable to occur. Experts only jibe 
in light winds, and frequently lower the peak, so as to 
reduce sail, before attempting a jibe. 

When you wish to come about see that all the tackle, 
ropes, etc., are clear and in working order, and that you 
are making good headway, then call out: "Helm's a-lee! " 




Figs. 117, 118, 119 and 120. — Coming About. 



or " Ready about ! " and push the tiller in the direction 
opposite to that from which the wind blows — that is, to the 
lee side of the boat. This will bring the bow around until 
the wind strikes the sail upon the side opposite to that 
which it struck before the helm was a-lee (Figs. 117, 118, 
119, 120). 

If you are aboard a sloop or schooner, ease off the jib 
sheet, but keep control of it, so that as the boat comes up 
to the wind you can make the jib help the bow around by 
holding the sheets so as to catch the wind aback. When 
the bow of the craft has passed the e3^e of the wind and the 



The Land- Lubber's Chapter 171 

sail begins to fill give the order to make fast or trim the 
jib, and off you go upon the opposite tack, or on a new leg. 

If the wind is light, or if, for any cause, the boat works 
slowly, you can sometimes help her by trimming in the main 
sheet when you let the jib sheet fly. In the diagram of 
coming about no jib is shown. 

Wearing is a term sometimes used in place of jibing. 

In a Thunder-storm. 

A thunder-storm is always an uncertain thing. There 
may be a veritable tornado hidden in the black clouds that 
we see rising on the horizon, or it may simply " iron out the 
wind" — that is, go grumbling overhead — and leave us 
becalmed, to get home the best way we can ; generally by 
what the boys called a "white -ash breeze" — that is, by 
using the sweeps or oars. 

On Long Island Sound a thunder-storm seems to have 
certain fixed rules of conduct. In the first place, it comes 
up from the leeward, or against the ivind. Just before the 
storm strikes you for an instant the wind ceases and the 
sails flap idly. Then look out ! for in nine cases out of ten 
you are struck the next moment by a sudden squall from 
exactly the opposite direction from which the wind blew a 
moment before. 

What to Do. 

Make for the nearest port with all speed, and keep a 
man at the down haul ready at a moment's notice to lower 
sail. The moment the wind stops drop the sail and make 
everything snug, leaving only bare poles. When the 
thunder-squall strikes you, be it ever so hard, you are now 
in little danger ; and if the wind from the new quarter is 
not too fresh, you can hoist sail again and make the best 



172 Summer 

of your way to the nearest port, where you can " get in out 
of the wet." 

If the wind is quite fresh keep your peak down, and 
with a reefed sail speed on your way. If it is a regular 
howler, let your boat drive before the wind under bare 
poles until you can find shelter or until it blows over, and 
the worst mishap you are likely to incur is a good soaking 
from the rain. 

Shortening Sail. — Just as soon as the boat heels over too 
far for safety, or as soon as you are convinced that there is 
more wind than you need for comfortable sailing, it is time 
to take a reef — that is, to roll up the bottom of the sail 
to the row of little ropes or reefing points on the sail and 
make fast there. This, of course, makes a smaller sail, and 
that is what you wish. 

While under way it will be found impossible to reef a sail 
except when sailing close-hauled. So the boat is brought 
up into the wind by pushing the helm down, as if you in- 
tended to come about. When possible it is better to lower 
the sail entirely before attempting to put in a reef. 

To Reef Without Lowering Sail. 

It sometimes happens that on account of the proximity 
of a lee shore, and the consequent danger of drifting in 
that direction, or for some other equally good reason, 
it is unadvisable to lower sail and lose headway. Under 
such circumstances the main sheet must be trimmed flat, 
keeping the boat as close as possible to the wind, the helm 
must be put up hard a-lee, and jib sheet trimmed to wind- 
ward (Fig. 121). 

When this is done the wind will hit the jib, " paying her 
head off," or pushing her bow to leeward, and this ten- 
dency is counteracted by the helm and mainsail, bring- 



The Land- Lubber' s Chapter 



173 



ing the bow up into the 
wind. This keeps the 
boat squirming. Low- 
er the mainsail until the 
row of reef points is 
just on a line with the 
boom, keeping to the 
windward of the sail. 
Tie the first point — 
that is, the one on the 
luff rope — then the one 
on the leach, being 
careful to stretch out 
the foot of the sail. 
Then tie the remaining 
points, always making 
a square or reefing 

knot. Tie them to the jack stay on the boom or around 
the boom. 

The Reef or Square Knot 

is most frequently used, as its name implies, in reefing 

sails. First make a plain overhand knot, as in Fig. 122. 

Then repeat the operation by taking the end and passing 
it over and under the loop, drawing the 
parts tight, as shown in Fig. 123. Care 
should be observed in crossing the ends 
so that they will always lay fairly along- 
side the main parts. Otherwise the knot 

will prove a granny, and be comparatively worthless. 




Fig. 121. — Squirming; Jib on Port Side, Boom 
Close-hauled on Starboard Side. 



Fig. 122 and 123. — 
Square or Reef 
Knot. 



To Shake Out a Reef, 

untie the knots, keeping to the windward of the sail. 
Untie the knot at the leach first, next the one at the luff, 



1 74 Summer 



and then the remaining points. In lowering a sail you use 
a rope called the down haul. 

Starboard Tack, — When the main boom is over the port 
side. 

Port Tack. — When the main boom is over the starboard 
side. 

Right of Way. — All boats sailing on the starboard tack 
have the right of way over all those on the port tack. In 
other words, if you are on the starboard tack, those on the 
port tack must keep out of your way. Any boat sailing 
close-hauled has the right of way over a boat sailing free. 

Lights for Canoe. 

A canoe under sail at night should have an uncolored 
lantern hung to her mizzen-mast to notify other craft that 
she is out and objects to being run down. The light is put 
on the mizzen so that it may be behind the skipper and not 
dazzle him. 

What you have read in the foregoing pages will not be 
found very difficult to remember, but there is only one 
way to learn to sail and that is by sailing. If possible, sail 
with some one who is a good seaman. If this sort of com- 
panion cannot be had, try it alone on smooth water and 
with short sail until you accustom yourself to the boat and 
its peculiarities. No boy ever learned to skate or swim 
from books, but books often have been helpful in giving 
useful hints to those who were really learning by practical 
experience. 

Some Do Nets. 

Do not overload the boat. 

Do not carry too much sail. 

Do not sail in strange waters without chart or compass. 

Do not forget your anchor. 



The Land- Lubber's Chapter 175 

Do not forget your paddles or oars. 

Do not attempt to learn to sail before you know how to 
swim. 

Do not sit on the gunwale. 

Do not put the helm down too suddenly or too far. 

Do not let go the helm. 

Do not mistake caution for cowardice. 

Do not be afraid to reef. 

Do not fear the ridicule of other land-lubbers. 

Do not fail to keep the halyards and sheets clear. 

Do not jibe in a stiff wind. 

Do not fail to keep your head in times of emergency. 

Do not make a display of bravery until the occasion de- 
mands it. 

Do not allow mistakes or mishaps to discourage you. 

You will soon become an expert and be able to engage 
in one of our most exhilarating, healthy, and manly sports 
and earn the proud distinction of being a good small-boat 
sailor. 



CHAPTER XIV 

RIGS OF ALL KINDS FOR SMALL BOATS 

How to Distinguish between a Ship, Bark, Brig, and Schooner— Mer- 
its and Defects of Cat-Boats— Advantages of the Sloop — Rigs for 
Canoes— Buckeyes and Sharpies, 

The two principal rigs for vessels are the fore-and-aft 
and the square rig. 

Square rigged consists in having the principal sails 
extended by yards suspended at the middle. (Fig. 135.) 

Fore-and-aft rigged is having the principal sails ex- 
tended b}^ booms and gaffs suspended by their ends (Figs. 
124, 125, 126, 132, 138 and 137). 

Barks, brigs, and ships are all more or less square rigged, 
but schooners, sloops, and catboats are all fore-and-aft 
rigged. In these notes the larger forms of boats are men- 
tioned only because of the well-known interest boys take 
in all nautical matters, but no detailed description of the 
larger craft will be given. All that is aimed at here is to 
give the salient points, so that the youngsters will know 
the name of the rig when they see it. 

The Cat. 

There is a little snub-nosed American who, in spite of 
her short body and broad waist, is deservedly popular 
among all our amateur sailors. 

The appreciation of her charms is felt and acknowl- 
edged by all her companions without envy, not because 




Rigs of All Kinds for Small Boats 177 

of her saucy looks, but on account of her accommodating 
manners. 

Possessing a rare ability for quick movement, and a 
wonderful power to bore her way almost into the very eye 
of the wind, or with double-reefed sail to 
dash through the storm or gently slide up 
alongside of a wharf or dock as easily as a 
rowboat, the American catboat, with her 
single mast " chock up in the eyes of her," 
has made a permanent place for herself 
among our pleasure craft, and is omni- 
present in our crowded bavs and har- fig. 124— The Snub- 

^ •' nosed American Cat. 

bors. 

Knowing that there is little danger of the catboat losing 
its well-earned popularity, and being somewhat familiar 
with many of her peculiarities, I am free to say that this 
rig, notwithstanding its numerous good points, has many 
serious defects as a school-ship, and the beginner had bet- 
ter select some other rig with which to begin his practice 
sailing. 

First, the great sail is very heavy and difficult to hoist 
and reef. Second, in going before the wind there is con- 
stant danger of jibing, with serious results. Third, the cat- 
boat has a very bad habit of rolling when sailing before the 
wind, and each time the boat rolls from side to side she is 
liable to dip the end of her heavy boom in the water and 
" trip herself up." When a boat trips up she does not 
necessarily go douni, but she is likely to upset, placing the 
young sailors in an unenviable, if not a dangerous, position. 
Fourth, when the craft begins to swagger before the wind 
she is liable to "■ goose neck," that is throw her boom up 
against the mast, which is another accident fraught with 
the possibilities of serious mischief. 



178 



Summer 



The catboat has no bowsprit, no jib, and no topsail, but 
that most graceful of all single-stickers. 

The Sloop, 

possesses several jibs, a bowsprit, and topsail. Besides 
these, when she is in racing trim, a number of additional 
sails are used. All our great racers are sloops, and this rig 
is the most convenient for small yachts and cutters. 

Racing Sloops. 

A racing sloop (Fig. 137) carries a mainsail, A, a fore stay- 
sail B, a jib, C, a gaff topsail, D, a club topsail, E, a baby 
jib topsail, F, a No. 2 jib topsail, G, a No. i jib topsail, H, a 
balloon jib topsail, J (Fig. 133), and a spinnaker, K (Fig. 133). 

Jib and Mainsail. 

A small sloop's sails are a mainsail, jib, and topsail. A 
sloop rig without topsail is called a jib and mainsail (Fig. 
125). 

While every small-boat sailor should know a catboat 
and a sloop when he sees them, and even be able to give 

the proper name to their sails, 
neither of these rigs is very well 
suited for canoes, sharpies, or 
other boats of the mosquito 
fleet; but the 

Schooner Rig, 

which is the form of boat gen- 
FiG. i2s.-jib and Mainsail. orally uscd for the larger yachts, 

is also very much used for open 
boats. As you can see, by referring to Fig. 126, the 
schooner rig consists of a bowsprit, fore and main mast, 




Rigs of All Kinds for Small Boats 179 




with their appropriate sails. Lately freight schooners have 
appeared with three or more masts. For small boats two 
adjustable masts and an adjusta- 
ble bowsprit, as described in the 
Rough and Ready, Chapter XIV., 
are best. The sails may be sprit 
sails. Fig. 143, balance lug, Fig. 
127; standing lug. Fig. 128; leg 
of mutton. Fig. 129, or the sliding 
gunter, Fig. 139. 

In the chapter on how to build 
the Rough and Ready, the sprit sail is depicted and fully 
described. 

The Balance Lug 

comes as near the square sail of a ship as any canvas used 
on small boats, but you can see, by referring to the dia- 
gram, Fig. 127, that the leach and the luff are not parallel 
and that the gaff hangs at an angle. To boom out the can- 



FiG. 126. — Schooner Rig for Open 
Boat. Boom on Mainsail, none 
on Foresail. 





Fig. 127. — The Balance Lug. 



Fig. 128. — Standing Lug. 



vas and make it sit flat there are three sticks extended 
across the sail from the front to the back, luff to leach, 
called battens. This has caused some people to call this a 
batten lug. Like the lateen sail, part of the balance lug 



i8o 



Summer 



hangs before the mast and serves the purpose of a jib. 
This rig is said to be easily managed and to possess good 
sailing qualities. 

The Standing Lug 

is another sail approaching the square in pattern, and, as 
any novice can see, is a good canvas with which to scud be- 
fore the wind. It is very convenient for open boats built 
to be propelled by paddles. While the standing lug can- 
not point up to the eye of the wind like a schooner or cat, 
it is very fast on the wind or when running with the wind 
astern. Probably the safest form of sail used is the old 

reliable 

Leg-of'Mutton Sail. 

This is used by the fishermen on their stanch little do- 
ries away up on the coast of Maine, and by the " tide- 
water " people in their " buckeyes " 
on Chesapeake Bay. The latter boat 
is very little known outside of the lo- 
cality where it makes its home, but 
like the New Haven sharpies, it is 
very popular in its own waters. 




Fig. 129. — Leg of Mutton 
Sail. Jib and Mainsail 



The Buckeye, 

or " bugeye," as it is sometimes vul- 
garly called, has a great reputation for 
speed and sea - going qualities. When it cannot climb a 
wave it goes through it. This makes a wet boat in heavy 
weather, but when you travel at a high rate of speed you 
can endure a wet jacket with no complaint, especially 
when you feel that, in spite of the fast-sailing qualities of 
this boat, it is considered a particularly safe craft. 

The construction of a buckeye has been evolved from 



' [> 



Fro. 130 



Fr<;. 131. 




Fig. 



^35- 



Fi 



Figs. 130-137.— rigs 



Fig. 133. 




136. 

rHAT WE Meet at Sea. 



Fig. 137 




Rigs of All Kinds for Small Boats i8i 

the old dugout canoe of the Indians and the first white 
settlers. America was originally covered with vast forests 
of immense trees. Remnants of these forests still exist in 
a few localities. It was once possible 
to make a canoe of almost any dimen- 
sions desired, but now in the thickly 
settled regions big trees are scarce. 

So the Chesapeake Bay boat-build- 
ers, while still adhering to the old dug- 
out, have overcome the disadvantage 
of small logs by using more than one '^^ ^^^^g ^uc^.v. 

and bolting the pieces together. Masts 

=• \ 111 1 . Fig. 138. -The Buckeye. 

and sails have been added, and smce 

the increased proportions made it impracticable to drag 
such a craft on the beach when in port, anchors and 
cables are supplied. Two holes bored, one on each side 
of the stem, for the cables to run through, have given the 
boat the appearance of having eyes, and as the eyes are 
large and round, the negroes called them buckeyes, 
and this is now the name by which all such craft are 
known. 

At first only two masts with leg-of-mutton sails were 
used, but now they have a jib and two sails. With the 
greatest width or beam about one-third the distance from 
bow to stern, sharp at both ends, its long, narrow, and 
heavy hull is easily driven through the water, and makes 
both a fast and stiff boat. 

The buckeye travels in shallow as well as deep waters, 
and hence is a centre-board boat, but there is nothing 
unnecessary on the real buckeye — no overhanging bow or 
stern, for that means additional labor ; no stays to the 
masts, for the same reason. The lack of sta)^s to stiffen the 
masts leaves them with " springiness," which in case of a 



1 82 Summer 

sudden squall helps to spill the wind and prevents what 
might otherwise be a " knock-down." 

The foremast is longer than the mainmast and does 
not rake aft so much, but the mainmast has a decided rake, 
which the colored sailors say makes the boat faster on the 
wind. Sometimes in the smaller boats the mainmast can 
be set upright when going before the wind. 

Wealthy gentlemen on the Chesapeake are now build- 
ing regularly equipped yachts on the buckeye plan, and 
some of them are quite large boats. A correspondent of 
the Forest and Stream, in speaking of the buckeye, says : 

" Last summer I cruised in company with a buckeye, forty-two feet long, 
manned by two gentlemen of Baltimore city. She drew twenty inches 
without the board. In sudden and heavy flaws she was rarely luffed. She 
would lie over and appear to spill the wind out of her tall, sharp sails, and 
then right again. Her crew took pleasure in tackling every sailing craft for a 
race ; nothing under seventy feet in length ever beat her. She steered under 
any two of her three sails. On one occasion this craft, on her way from 
Cape May to Cape Charles, was driven out to sea before a heavy northwest 
blow. Her crew, the aforesaid gentlemen, worn out by fatigue, hove her to 
and went to sleep. She broke her tiller lashing during the night, and when 
they awoke she was pegging away on a southeast course under her jib. 
They put her about, and in twenty hours were inside Cape Henry, pretty 
well tired out. Buckeyes frequently run from Norfolk to New York with 
fruit. For shallow waters, I am satisfied there is no better craft afloat. 
Built deep, with a loaded keel, they would rival the English cutter in 
seaworthiness and speed." 

When the hardy, bold fishermen of our Eastern States 
and the brave fishermen down South both use the leg-of- 
mutton sail, beginners cannot object to using it while prac- 
tising; knowing that even if it is a safe sail, it cannot be 
called a " baby rig." Another safe rig, differing little from 
the leg-of-mutton, is the 



Rigs of All Kinds for Small Boats 183 



Sliding Gunter. 

In this rig the sail is laced to a yard which slides up or 
down the mast by means of two iron hooks or travellers 
(Fig. 139). No sail with a nar- 
row-pointed top is very service- 
able before the wind, and the 
sliding gunter is no exception to 
the rule. But it is useful on the 
wind, and can be reefed easily 
and quickly, qualities which make 
it many friends. 

In the smooth, shallow waters along the coast of North 
Carolina may be seen the long, flat-bottomed 

Sharpies. 

Without question they are to be ranked among the fastest 
boats we have. These boats are rigged with a modification 
of the leg-of-mutton sail. The ends of the sprit in the foresail 




Fig. 139. — The Sliding Gunter. 






Fig. 140. — Sharpie with Sprit and 
Club Leg-of-Mutton Sails. 



Fig. 141. Fig. 142. 

Showing Detail of Sprit Club Sail. 



project at the luif and leach. At the luff it is fastened to the 
mast by a line like a snotter at the leach. It is fastened to a 
stick sewed into the sail, called a club. The sheet is attached 
to the end of the sprit (Figs. 140, 141, 142, 144, and 145). 



1 84 



Summer 



The Sprit Leg-of-Mutton Sail 

has this advantage, that the clew of the sail is much higher 






Fig. 143 — Plain Sprit 
Leg-of-Mutton. 



Fig. 144. 



Fig. 145- 



Another Form of the Sprit Sail. 




than the tack, thus avoiding the danger of dipping the clew- 
in the water and tripping the boat. 

The Dandy Jigger, 
or Mizzen Rig, 

is named after the 
small sail aft, near the 
rudder -head. This 
jigger, mizzen, or 
dandy may have a 
boom, a sprit, or be 
rigged as a lug. (See 
Figs. 146, 147, 149, 
150, 151, 152, 154, 156, 
and 160, which show 
the principal mizzen 
rigs in use.) 

In puffy wind and 
lumpy water the main 
and mizzen rig will 

Fig. 147.— Lug Rig with Jigger and Jib. be found tO WOrk Well. 



Fig. 146. — Lug Rig with Jigger. 




Rigs of All Kinds for Small Boats 185 

The little sail aft should be trimmed as flat as possible. It 
Avill be found of great help in beating to the windward, and 






Fig. 



-Jib. Fig. 149. — Sprit Sail, Schooner Rig, Fig. 150.— Sprit Sail Jib and 
witli Dandy. Dandy. 



will keep the hose of the boat facing the wind when the 
mainsail is down. Different rigs are popular in different 
localities. For instance : 

The Lateen Rig 

is very popular in some parts of the Old World, yet it has 
only few friends here. It may be because of my art training 
that I feel so kindly toward this style of sail, or it may be 
from the association in my mind of some of the happiest 
days of my life with a little black canoe rigged with lateen 
sails. At any rate, in spite of the undeniable fact that the 
lateen is unpopular, I never see 
a small boat rigged in this style 
without a feeling of pleasure. The 
handy little stumps of masts, end 
in a spike at the top, and are 
adorned by the beautiful sails 
lashed to slender spars, which, by 
means of metal rings, are lightly, 
but securely, fastened to the mast 
by simply hooking the ring over the spike. I freely ac- 
knowledge that when the sails are lowered and you want 
to use your paddle the lateen sails are in your way. It 




Fig. 151. 



The Lateen Rig with 
Dandy. 



1 86 Stimmer 

is claimed that they are awkward to reef, and this may be 
true. I never tried it. When the wind was too strong 
for my sails I made port or took in either the large or the 
small sail, as the occasion seemed to demand. 

The Ship. 

When you are out sailing and see a vessel with three 
masts, all square rigged, you are looking at a ship proper, 
though ship is a word often used loosely for any sort of a 
boat (Fig. 135). 

The bark is a vessel with square-rigged foremast and 
mainmast and a fore-and-aft rigged mizzen-mast (Fig. 136). 

The brig is a vessel with only two masts, both of which 
are square rigged (Fig. 134). 

The brigantine has two masts — foremast square rigged, 
and mainmast fore-and-aft rigged (Fig. 131). 

The barkentine has three masts — mainmast and mizzen- 
mast fore-and-aft rigged and foremast square rigged. (See 
Fig. 130.) 



m'^/^^ ^^^. 




j 



CHAPTER XV 
A "ROUGH AND READY" BOAT 

Just What an Ingenious Boy Must Do to Build It — Detailed Instructions 
as to How to Make the Boat and How to Rig It. 

Good straight-grained pine wood is, without doubt, the 
best "all-around" wood for a boy's use. It is easily whittled 
with a pocket-knife ; it works smoothly under a plane; can 
be saAved without fatiguing the young carpenter ; it is elas- 
tic, pliable, and cheap ; therefore use pine lumber to build 
your boat. 

Examine the lumber pile carefully and select four boards 
nearly alike. Do not allow the dealer or his men to talk 
you into taking lumber with blemishes. The side-pieces 
should be of straight-grained wood, with no large knots 
and no " checks " (cracks) in them, and must not be " wind 
shaken." 

Measure the wood and see that it is over twenty-two 
feet long by one foot four or five inches wide and one inch 
thick. Trim two of the side-pieces until they are exact 
duplicates (Fig. i6oa). The stem -piece (or bow-piece) 
should be made from a triangular piece of oak (Fig. i66), 
and it is wise to make it a few inches longer than will be 
necessary, so that there may be no danger of finding, after 
all your labor, that the stick is too short; much better 
too long, for it is a simple matter to saw it off. Make a 
second stem-piece (Fig. 167) of oak about one inch thick 



1 88 



Summer 



and the same length as the first, and two or three inches 
wide, or twice as wide as the thickness of the side boards. 

The Stern-Piece. 

The stern-piece can be fashioned out of two-inch pine 
boards, and may be made as wide or narrow as you choose. 



Fig. i6oa. 



• — -51 



uouvef». 3I0E Bo/M^O 



Fig. i6i. 




7 ftc-f 




\ 


/ 

1 


12.;^^.^ — sv' - - - 


1 



Fig. 162. 





Fig. 163. Fig. 164. 

Diagrams Showing the Construction of the Rough and Ready. 

A narrow stern makes a trim-looking craft. With your saw 
cut off the corner of the tail-piece, so that it will be in the 
form of a blunted triangle (Fig. 168), measuring three feet 
ten and one-half inches across the base, three feet four 
inches on each side, and nine and one-half inches at the apex. 
The base of the triangle will be the top and the apex will 
be the bottom of the stern-board of your boat. 

Now make a brace on which to model your boat. Let 
it be of two-inch pine wood, two and one-half feet wide and 



A ''Rough mid Ready'' Boat 189 



seven and one-half feet long (Fig. 161). Measure twelve 
inches on one edge of this board from each end toward 
the centre and mark the points ; then rule lines from these 
points diagonally across the width of the board (A, B and 
C, D — Fig. 161), and saw off the corners, as shown by the 
dotted line in Fig. 161. 

Lay the boards selected for the lower side boards on a 
level floor and measure off one and one-half foot on the bot- 
tom edge, then in a line with the end of the board mark a 
point on the floor that would be the top edge of the board if 




Fig. 165. Figs. i66, 167, and 168. 

The Rough and Ready. 



the board were two and one-half feet wide ; rule a line from 
the point on the floor to the point marked on the board and 
saw off the corner as marked ; make the other side-piece 
correspond exactly with the first (Fig. i6oa). 



190 Summer 



Use Rope for Binding. 

Set the side-pieces upon their bottom or shorter edges 
and place the brace between the sides. Now bind the 
stern ends with a rope and bring the bow-pieces together 
nntil they touch ; rope them in this position, and when 
all is fast push the brace up until it rests at a point nine 
feet from the bow ; fasten it here with a couple of nails 
driven in, but leaving their heads far enough from the 
wood to render it easy to draw them out. Now adjust 
the bow-piece, and use the greatest of care in making the 
sides exactly alike, otherwise you will wonder how your 
boat happened to have such an unaccountable twist in it. 
When the stem is properly adjusted fasten on the side 
boards with screws. Do not try to hammer the screws in 
place, but bore holes first and use a screw-driver. 

Take your stern-piece and measure the exact width of 
the stern end of the bottom boards and mark it at the bot- 
tom of the stern-piece ; or, better still, since the stern-board 
will set at an angle, put it temporarily in place, bind it fast 
with the ropes, and mark with a pencil just where the side 
boards cross the ends of the stern-board. Remove the stern- 
board and saw out a piece one inch wide, the thickness of 
the bottom board, from the place marked to the bottom of 
the stern-board. Because the top side board overlaps the 
bottom one at the stern, there must be either a large crack 
left there or the stern-board notched to fit the side boards 
(Fig. 168). Replace the stern-board and nail side boards fast 
to it ; now loosen the ropes which have held your boat in 
shape, and fit on the upper side boards so that at the stern 
they will overlap the lower side boards an inch. Hold in 
place with your rope, then bring the bow end up against the 
stern-piece over the top of the lower side board and fasten 



A " Rottgh and Ready " Boat 191 

it in place with a rope. With your carpenter's pencil mark 
the overlap, and with a plane made for that purpose, called 
a rabbet, trim down your board so that it will have a shoul- 
der and an overlap to rest on the bottom board, runqing- 
out to nothing- at the bow. When the boards fit all right 
over the lower ones bind them in place and then nail them 
there (Fig. 162). If you can obtain two good boards of 
the requisite size, you need have but one board for each 
side of your boat ; this will obviate the necessity of using 
the rabbet, and be very much easier ; but with single boards 
of the required dimensions there is great danger of split- 
ting or cracking while bending the boards. 

Planing the Bottom. 

Turn the boat upside down and you will see that there 
is a decided arch extending from stem to stern. This would 
cause the boat to sink too deep amidships, and must be 
remedied to some extent by cutting away the middle of the 
arch, so that the sides in the exact centre will measure at 
least four inches less in width than at the bow and stern, 
and reducing the convex or curved form to a straight line 
in the middle, which will give a sheer to the bow and stern. 
A good plane is the best tool to use for this purpose, as 
with it there is no danger of cutting too deep or of split- 
ting the side boards. Saw off the projecting ends of the 
side boards at the stern. 

Make the bottom of three-quarter-inch boards. Lay the 
boards crosswise, nail them in place, leaving the irregular 
ends projecting on each side. The reason for this is obvi- 
ous. When you look at the bottom of the boat you will 
at once see that on account of the form no two boards can 
be the same shape, and the easiest way is to treat the boat 
bottom as if it were a square-sided scow. Fit the planks 



19^ Summer 

closely together, nail them on securely, and then neatly 
saw off the projecting ends (Fig. 164). 

The Deck. 

The brace may now be removed by carefully drawing 
the nails, so that a bottom plank trimmed to tit the bow 
and the stern can be securely nailed in place (Fig. 169). 
Cut a notch in your brace to fit tightly over the bottom 
plank just laid. Plane off the top of the brace so that when 
in the boat the top of the brace will be four inches below 
the top of the side boards. Replace the brace and securely 
nail it. Next cut two small cross-pieces (F, G, Fig. 163) and 
place them near the bow, four inches below the top of the 
sides of the boat. Drive the nails from the outside through 
the side boards into the end of F and G, the cross-brace. 
Cut out a bow-piece to fit from the middle of G to the bow 
and nail it in place, driving the nails from the outside into 
the edge of the bow-piece. Fasten a small cleat along the 
boat from the solid board brace to F on each side and deck 
the space over with light lumber. 

Of the same material make a trap-door to fit in between 
the braces F and G. This door should be big enough for 
a boy to creep through, for this compartment is intended 
as a safe place to store cooking utensils, foods, etc., as well 
as a water-tight compartment. At a point five feet from 
the stern put another cross-brace, similar to the ones in the 
bow, four inches below the top of the sides. At the same 
level nail a cleat on the stern-piece and make a stern seat 
by boarding over between the cross-piece and the cleat. 
When 3^our boat is resting securely on the floor or level 
ground rig a temporary seat, then take an oar and by ex- 
periment find just where the rowlock will be most conven- 
ient and mark the spot. Also mark the spot best suited for 



A " Rough and Ready " Boat 193 

the seat. On each side of the spot marked for the rowlock 
cut two notches in the side-boards two inches deep, one and 
a half inches wide, and three inches apart. Saw two more 
notches exactly like these upon the opposite side of your 
boat. These will make the rowlocks when the side strips 
are nailed on (Fig. 169). 

The side strips should each be made of one-inch plank 
three inches wide and a few inches longer than the side 
boards. Nail the strips on the outside of the boat flush 
with the top of the side boards. Make your thole pins of 
some hard wood, and make two sets of them while you are 




Fig. 169. — Top View of Rough and Ready with Tiller Stick. 

about it, " one set to use and one set to lose." Screw a 
hardwood cleat on the inside of your boat over each pair of 
rowlocks, as shown in Fig. 169. 

Ready for the Water. 

Fasten the remaining bow-piece securely over the ends 
of your side boards, and the nose of your craft is finished. 

Put a good, heavy keel on your boat by screwing it 
tightly in the stern to the hardwood rudder-post that is 
fastened to the centre of the stern ; bolt your keel with four 
iron bolts to the bottom of the boat, and the ship is ready 
to launch, after which she can be equipped with sails and 
oars. 

13 



194 



Summer 



Of course, you understand that 
all nail-holes and crevices should 
be puttied up, and if paint is used, 
it must be applied before wetting 
the boat. But if you have done 
your work well, there will be little 
need of paint or putt}'^ to make it 
tight after the wood has swelled in 
the water. Fasten your rudder on 
with hooks and screw -eyes, and 
make it as shown in the diagram 
(Fig. 165). Step your mainmast in 
the bow through a round hole in 
the deck and a square hole in the 
step, which must, of course, be 
screwed tightly to the bottom be- 
fore the bow is decked over. 

Step your jigger or dandy-mast 
in the stern after the same manner. 
These masts should neither of them 
be very large, and are intended to 
be removed at pleasure by unstep- 
ping them, that is, simply pulling 
them out of their sockets. An out- 
rigger will be found necessary for 
your dandy-sail, and since the deck 
aft is below the sides of the boat, 
a block of wood will have to be 
nailed to the deck to the starboard 
or right-hand side of the rudder- 

'■~^L?neY' ^"^^ '^'^^^'^ P°^^' ^^ ^^^ builder chooses, he can 

make the decks flush with the sides 

boat, and thus avoid blocks. A couple of staples for 




A ''Rough and Ready'' Boat 195 

the out-rigger to slip through are next in order. They must 
be fastened firmly in the block or stick of wood just nailed 
to the deck. A similar arrangement can be made for the 
bowsprit, but as it is a movable bowsprit, and the stem of 
the boat is in the way, put it to the port or left-hand side of 
the stem of the craft (Fig. 169). 

How to Make the Sail. 

Secure for a sail material as strong as you can find, but 
it need not be heavy. Unbleached muslin is cheap and 
will make good sails. Turn over the edges and sew or hem 
them, as in the diagram. Make eyelets like buttonholes in 
the luff of the sail — that is, the edge of the sail nearest the 
mast. Sew a small loop of rope in each corner of the sail. 
Through the eyelets lace the luff of the sail to the mast. 

From spruce or pine make a sprit two inches in 
diameter. For a "sheet" — that is, the rope or line that you 
manage the sail with — tie a good, stout line about a dozen 
feet long to the loop in the loose corner of the sail. Trim 
the upper end of the sprit to fit the loop in the top of the 
sail and make a simple notch in the other end to hold the 
line called the " snotter." 

Now, as you can readily see by referring to Fig. 
165, when the sprit is pushed into the loop at the top 
of the sail the sail is spread. To hold it in place make a 
cleat like the one in the diagram, and bind it firmly with a 
cord to the sprit ; pass the snotter or line fastened to the 
mast through the notch in the sprit up to the cleat and 
make fast, and the sail is set. The jigger or dandy is 
exactly like the mainsail except in size, and the sheet rope 
is run through a block or pulley at the end of the out-rigger 
and then made fast to a cleat near the man at the rudder 
or helm. The jib is a simple affair hooked on a screw-eye 



1 96 Swmner 

in the end of the bowsprit. The jib halyard, or line for 
hoisting the jib, runs from the top of the jib through a 
screw-eye in the top of the mast, down the port side of the 
mast to a cleat, Avhere it is made fast. When the jib is set 
the jib-sheets are fastened to a loop sewed in the jib at 
the lower or loose end. There are two jib-sheets, one for 
each side of the boat, so that one may be made fast and the 
other loosened, according to the wind. The remaining 
details you must study out from the diagrams or learn by 
experiment. 

How to Reef Her. 

When the wind is high reef your sails by letting go the 
snotter and pulling out the sprit. This will drop your peak 
and leave you with a simple leg-of-mutton sail. Only use 
the jib in light weather. 

In this boat, with a little knowledge of sailing, you may 
cruise for weeks, lowering your sails at night and making a 
tent over the cock-pit for a sleeping-room. 

When the author described the Rough and Ready for 
the New York Press, Mr. Curtis Brown, the genial editor 
of the Sunday edition of that paper, was delighted with 
it. He had had letters from boy readers asking the rules for 
building just such a boat. After the article was published 
Mr. Brown received more letters asking for descriptions 
and rules for building a rowboat. The writer had already 
told how to build a rowboat, under the head of a " Yankee 
Pine" in the "American Boy's Handy Book." If the 
young boat-builders do not have a " Handy Book" they can 
reduce the dimensions of the Rough and Ready, leave off 
the decks, and they will have a serviceable rowboat. 



CHAPTER XVI 
A RAFT THAT WILL SAIL 

And a Home-Made Catamaran — The Raft is Just the Thing for Camp 
Life— Pleasurable Occupation for a Camping Party Where Wood 
is Plentiful— You Will Need Axes and Hatchets and a Few Other 
Civilized Implements. 

First we will select two pine logs of equal length, and, 
while the water is heating for our coffee we will sharpen 
the butt or larger end of the logs on one side with the axe, 
making a "chisel edge," as shown in Fig. 171. This gives 
us an appetite for breakfast and makes the big fish in the 
lake, as they jump above the water, cast anxious looks 
toward our camp. 

Breakfast finished, we will cut some cross-pieces to join 
our two logs together, and at equal distances apart we will 
bore holes through the cross-pieces for peg-holes (Figs. 172, 
173, and 174). While one of the party is fashioning a num- 
ber of pegs, each with a groove in one side, like those 
shown in Fig. 175, the others will roll the logs into the 
water and secure them in a shallow spot. 

Shoes and stockings must be removed, for most of the 
work is now to be done in the water. Of course, it would 
be much easier done on land, but the raft will be very heavy 
and could never be launched unless under the most favor- 
able circumstances. It is better to build the craft in the 
element which is to be its home. 

Cut two long saplings for braces, and after separating 



198 Summer 

the logs the proper distance for your cross-pieces to fit, nail 
your braces in position, as represented by Fig. 171. 

This holds the logs steady, and we may now lay the two 
cross-pieces in position and mark the points on the logs 
carefully where the holes are to be bored to correspond 
with the ones in the cross-pieces. Bore the holes in one 
log first ; make the holes deep enough and then fill them 
with water, after which drive the pegs through the ends of 
the cross-pieces and into the log. The grooves in the pegs 
(Fig. 175) will allow the water to escape from the holes and 
the water will cause the peg to swell and tighten its hold 
on the log and cross-pieces. 

Now bore holes in the other log under those in the 
cross-pieces and fill them with water before driving the 
pegs home, as you did in the first instance. Fig. 176 is a 
Man-Friday raft. 

The Deck. 

Before placing the bow in position we must go ashore 
and make a dry deck. Selecting for the springs two long 
elastic ash or hickory poles, trim the ends off flat on one 
side, as shown by Fig. 177. This flat side is the bottom, so 
roll them over, with the flat side toward the ground, and if 
you can find no planks or barrel staves for a deck, split in 
half a number of small logs and peg or nail them on the 
top side of the springs, as. in Fig. 178. 

Now all hands must turn out and carry the deck down 
to the raft and place it in position, with the flattened sides 
of the springs resting on top of the logs at the bow. Prop 
it up in this position, and then bore holes through the 
springs into the logs and peg the springs down. Over the 
flat ends place the heavy bow cross-piece, bore the peg 
holes, and fasten it in position (Fig. 179). 



A Raft that will Sail 



199 



Fig. 173. 



Fig. 171. 
Fig. 173. Fig. 174. 



1 


I 




(f^^ 




5 
\ 


•r 




u> 






^ 






5 


J ) 


^ 


A 


^^ 



Fig. 176. 



Fig. 177. 




Fig. 17s. 



Fig. 179. 



Fig. 178. 



Parts of Man-Friday Sailing Raft. 

Fig. 171. — Logs in Place with Braces. Figs. 172, 173, and 174. — Struts. FiG. 175. 
— i'egs. FiG. 176. — Raft with Middle and Stern Strut in Place. FiG. 177. — 
Springs for Dry Deck. Fig. 178.— Dry Deck. Fig. 179. — Dry Deck in Place, 



200 



Summer 



In the centre of the bow cross-piece bore several holes 
close together and chip out the wood between to make a 




Bo«*Y STftOT, 
Fig. i8o.— Sail for Man-Friday. 

hole, as square a one as possible, for the mast to fit or 
"step" in. With the wood from a packing box or a slab 
from a log make the bench for the mast. 

Bore a hole through the bench a trifle astern of the step 
or hole for the mast below. It will cause the mast to 
"rake" a little " aft." You have done a big day's work, but a 
couple of days ought to be sufficient time to finish the craft. 



A Raft that will Sail 



20 1 



The Sail. 

Turn over the raw edges of the old sailcloth and stitch 
them down, as in Fig. 180 — that is, if you have the needle and 
thread for the purpose ; if not, trim the cloth to the proper 
form and two inches from the luff (the side next to the 
mast). Cut a number of holes ; these should be stitched like 
buttonholes, if possible, but if the sailcloth is tough and we 




Fig. i8i.— Scudding Before the Wind. 



have no needle, we shall have to let them go unstitched. A 
small loop of rope must be sewed or fastened in some 
other manner very securely to each corner of the sail. 



202 Smnmer 

From spruce pine or an old fishing pole make a sprit, 
and of a good, straight piece of pine manufacture your 
mast somewhat longer than the luff of the sail (Fig. i8o). 

Through the eyelets lace the luff of the sail to the mast, 
so that its lower edge will clear the dry deck by about 
a foot. 

Through the hole made for the purpose in the bench 
(Fig. i8i) thrust the mast into the step or socket that we 
have cut in the bow cross-piece. Tie to the loop at the 
bottom corner of the sail a strong line about twelve feet 
long for a sheet with which to control the sail. 

Trim the upper end of the sprit to fit in the loop at the 
upper outer corner of the sail, and make a notch in the 
lower end to fit in the loop of the line called the " snotter." 

Now, as you can readily see, when the sprit is pushed 
diagonally upward the sail is spread; to hold it in place 
make a loop of line for a "snotter" and attach the loop 
to the mast, as in Figs. i8o and iSi. Fit the loop in the 
notch in the lower end of the sprit, and the sail is set. 

The Keelig. 

We need anchors, one for the bow and one for the stern. 
It takes little time to make them, as you only need a forked 
stick, a stone, and a piece of plank, or, better still, a barrel 
stave. Figs. i86, 187, 189, and 190 show how this is made. 
Down East the fishermen use the " keelig," in preference to 
any other anchor. 

Make fast your lines to the " keelig " thus : Take the end 
of the rope in your right hand and the standing part (which 
is the part leading from the boat) in your left hand and 
form the loop (A, Fig. 182). 

Then with the left hand curve the cable from you, 



A Raft that will Sail 



203 



bringing the end through the loop, as in B, Fig. 183 ; then 
lead it around and down, as in C, Fig. 184. 

Draw it tight, as in D, Fig. 185, and you have the good, 
old-fashioned knot, called by sailors the " bow-line." 

To make it look neat and shipshape you may take a 



Fig. 182. Fig. 183. Fig, 



Fig. 185. 




Tne STOMS 

Fig. 186. Fig. 187. Fig. iE 



Fig. 190. 



piece of string and bind the standing part to the shaft of 
your anchor or keelig — keelek — killick — killeck — kelieck — 
kellock — killock, etc., as you may choose to spell it. 

A paddle to steer with and two pegs in the stern cross- 
piece to rest it in complete the craft ; and now the big bass 
had better use due caution, because our lines will reach 
their haunts, and we are after them ! 

A Home-Made Catamaran. 

Possibly after you have built and sailed on the rude 
catamaran described above you have gfown ambitious 
and wish to try a real catamaran. In this case it is, of 



204 Summer 

course, necessary that you should be in some locality 
where you can have access to ordinary building materials 
and tools. 

In place of the two unwieldy logs substitute two narrow 
boats. If such boats can be found already built, so much 
the better. Two old-fashioned dugout canoes make most 
excellent hulls for a catamaran, but unfortunately dugout 
canoes are now few and far between. In these modern 
days we must look for something more up-to-date, and 
probably the shortest way out of the difficulty is to build 
two long, narrow boats. This is not a difficult piece of 
work. Any boy who has successfully built either of the 
preceding craft, or is sufficiently skilful to build even a 
rude skiff, will be able to put together two long water-tight 
boxes, and it does not require much additional skill to 
make boxes pointed at each end. 

Make each side of the boat of one straight-grained 
white pine board, twelve or fourteen feet long, and put the 
boat together after the fashion shown in Figs. i6oa, i6i, 162, 
163, and 164 (Rough and Ready), with this difference: 
You must make the bow and stern just alike, and leave 
the four stretchers or moulds in their places, to add 
strength to the hulls. This, of course, divides the hulls 
into five compartments, each of which is liable to hold 
water. To prevent this saw a triangular notch in the 
bottom of each mould to allow the water that may leak 
in free passage from bow to stern ; then it may be all 
bailed out from one trap or hatch. Particular attention 
must be paid to making the two side boats exact duplicates 
of each other. If white lead is applied to all seams and 
joints before they are fastened together, it will make them 
very nearly water-tight, but a new boat will leak until the 
water has caused the wood to swell. 



A Raft that will Sail 



205 



A Trap-Door or Hatch, 

large enough to admit one's hand and bailer, should oc- 
cupy an accessible position near the stern of each boat. 
The trap should be built 
to fasten as tightly as 
possible to prevent any 
water that may splash 
over the boats from 
leaking in through the 
openings in the deck. 
Make each deck of a 
single board, trimmed 
to conform with the lines 
of the boat, and make 
holes in the deck for 
the bands to pass 
through. With bolts 
and bands, that have 
been made for you at the 
nearest blacksmith shop, 
you fasten the cross- 
piece supporting the 
deck to the moulds in 
the boat. Fig. 193, A, 
shows one of the bolts. 
It is understood that 
these bolts are securely 
fastened to the moulds 
before the hulls are 
decked. The holes are 
then bored in the deck, and the screw ends of the bolts 
come up through the deck and through the holes made for 




Figs. 191, 192, 193. — A 
Boi-T Home-made Catama- 
ran. 



2o6 Sinnmer 

that purpose in the cross-pieces supporting the deck. A 
piece of india-rubber from an old hose can be used for 
washers to fit under the bolts. The nuts are then screwed 
home. 

The deck is now floored, as shown in Fig. 191, and 

The Rudder and Mast 

benches are put in place, the latter at the forward and the 
former at the after end of the deck. Underneath the deck 
a keel-piece is securely bolted on. If you wish a sloop rig, 
a bowsprit is fastened to the keel-piece, but in regard to 
sails, you may make your own choice of the many styles. 
A good lateen will look best and is easily made, as de- 
scribed in the chapter on rigs. If one sail does not work 
to suit you, a dandy or a jigger may be added. 

This style of craft may be built as large or small as you 
choose to build it. In a very small catamaran that would 
only hold one boy he could probably steer it with a paddle 
or an oar, but in the larger ones a somewhat more compli- 
cated stv.2ring apparatus is necessary. 

Steering Apparatus. 

Evidently it would be a most difficult undertaking to 
steer the catamaran with independent rudders, and we 
must devise a method by which one tiller will control both. 
Fig. 201 shows how it may be done with a system of 
pulleys or blocks and tiller-lines, or 3'-ou may make a 
short oaken stick of the form shown in Fig. 194, A. Bore 
a hole through the centre, as is shown in Fig. 195, B. 
Trim off the top to fit the tiller-handle (Fig. 196, C). Saw 
into all the four corners of the square stick to form a 
shoulder to rest on the bench. Fig. 197 shows the shoulder 
at S. Plane off the square corners of the wood below the 



A Raft that will Sail 



207 



saw cut. After this it is quite a simple matter to round it 
off below the shoulder (Fig. 197, E). 

After slipping the rudder-post through the two holes 



B 



K 



nM. 



y 




Figs. 194, 195. —Stick for Fig. 196. Fig. 197. Fig. 198. 

Rudder-post of Catamaran. Rudder-post of Catamaran. 

bored for the purpose in the rudder bench, drive through 
the post a good, strong oaken or hickory peg (Fig 198, F), 




Fig. 199. — Rudder Bench of Catamaran. 



208 



Sttmmer 



and bind the cross-pieces tightly with tarred twine. The 
end of the cross-sticks should be firmly lashed with tarred 



Fig. 200.— Half Hull of Catamaran. 



or painted twine. A large screw-eye may be now put in each 
end of the cross-stick or near the ends, allowing the screw- 
ends of the eye to protrude far enough to screw on a nut. 




Fig. 201. — Tackle for Steering a Catamaran. 

Now we must have two long, strong hoop poles to 
connect with the rudders by means of bolts and rings, as 



A Raft that will Sail 



209 




Fig. 203. 



Fig. 202.— The Half Hull with Double Block Steering Gear. 
Fig. 203.— The Side View of Helm, 

t4 



2IO 



Slimmer 




shown in Fig. 191. All that is now necessary is to fit your 
tiller-handle over the top of the rudder-post, and the steer- 
ing apparatus is finished. Fig. 201 shows another plan for 

steering with a helm 
like Figs. 202 and 203. 
The mast is 
stepped in a bench 
at the bow similar 
to the rudder bench. 
Each consists of 
board benches bolt- 
ed to heavy plank 
supports and bolt- 
ed to the deck. The 
material used should 
be as light as possi- 
ble, consistent with 
strength. The dry 
deck can be made 
of neatly planed 
boards, and the whole craft may be as neat and well done as 
the skill of the maker will admit. Hulls with a swell on 
each side jam the water between them and retard the 
boat ; so if you build the catamaran with half hulls you 
will do away with this objection. Fig. 200 shows diagram 
of hull; Fig. 202, plan of craft; Fig. 203, the helm. 

A Tom Thumb Catamaran 

could be built just large enough to hold one boy. The 
dry deck may be made with bamboo poles, in the form 
of a seat for the sailor, and if a foot-rest is added below, 
he may sit perched in his dry seat like a horse-jockey 
in a sulky, where he can manage his little craft in 



Fig. 204. — Detail of Rudder, Showing Braces and 
Rings, AA' BB', for the Rudder -pin, C, to fit 
in. D is the Ring for Attaching Steering Gear. 



.&,^ 



A Raft that will Sail 



211 



weather that no other small boats could stand. Some 
people say that under a heavy sail and a hard blow this 
style of boat will rear up at the stern and go end over 
end. If this is true, it is because the craft is too short and 
dumpy, or has too large a spread of canvas. Even full- 
rigged ships have been known to run their bows under. 




Fig. 205. — A Home-made Catamaran. 

There was a good-sized catamaran wrecked in Flushing 
Bay the same day that the writer upset in his canoe, but 
from the looks of the wreck, with its sails torn to ribbons, 
it seemed probable that the sails had been carried away, 
and the craft had then drifted ashore. The wreck showed 
no signs of having turned somersaults. 

Two old single shells would make a beautiful Tom 



212 Summer 

Thumb catamaran, and they would be far more likely to sail 
up in the air than to stand on end, but all these gymnastics 
on the part of the boat can be avoided by not venturing out 
during a gale or by shortening sail when the wind is strong. 
Never be misled into thinking it seamanlike to carry full 
sail Avhen other boats are reefed. Too much sail retards 
the boat as much as too little. In all yacht races the- 
skippers never hesitate to take in sail when it is necessary 
any more than they do to shake out a reef Avhen more sail 
is thought to be beneficial. 

Danger of False Pride. 

Learn to manage a small sail first and then a larger one. 
Do not be ashamed of blunders. Why should you ? Is a 
baby ashamed to creep before it learns to walk? On the 
contrary, the baby is very proud of its newly acquired 
powers of locomotion. Nobody is a born sailor. The 
best seaman was once a land-lubber. 



CHAPTER XVII 
SINGLE SHELLS AND UMBRELLA CANOES 

How Old Shells Can Be Turned into Boys' Boats — The Cause of Up- 
sets—Landing from and Embarking in a Shell — What an Umbrella 
Canoe Is and How It Is Made. 

Where there are oarsmen and boat clubs there you will 
find beautiful shell boats of paper or cedar, shaped like 
darning needles, so slight in structure that a child can knock 
a hole in them, and yet very seaworthy boats for those who 
understand how to handle them. The expensive material 
and skilled labor necessary to build a racing shell puts the 
price of one so high that few boys can afford to buy one; 
but where new shells are to be found there are also old ones, 
and when they are too old to sell they are thrown away. 
Many an old shell rots on the meadows near the boat-houses 
or rests among the rafters forgotten and unused, which with 
a little work would make a boat capable of furnishing no 
end of fun to a boy. 

Checks or Cracks 

can be pasted over with common manilla wrapping paper 
by first covering the crack with a coat of paint, or, bet- 
ter still, of varnish, then fitting the paper smoothly over 
the spot and varnishing the paper. Give the paper sev- 
eral coats of varnish, allowing it to dry after each appli- 
cation, and the paper will become impervious to water. 



2 1 4 Stminier 

The deck of a shell is made of thin muslin or paper, treated 
with a liberal coat of varnish, and can be patched with simi- 
lar material. There are always plenty of slightly damaged 
oars which have been discarded by the oarsmen. The use 
of a saw and jack-knife in the hands of a smart boy can 
transform these wrecks into serviceable oars for his patched- 
up old shell, and if the work is neatly done, the boy will be 
the proud owner of a real shell boat, and the envy of his 
comrades. 

The Cause of Upsets. 

A single shell that is very cranky with a man in it is 
comparatively steady when a small boy occupies the seat. 
Put on your bathing clothes when you wish to try a shell, 
so that you may be ready for the inevitable upset. Every 
one knows, when he looks at one of these long, narrow boats, 
that as long as the oars are held extended on the water it 
cannot upset. But, in spite of that knowledge, every one, 
when he first gets into a shell, endeavors to balance himself 
by lifting the oars, and, of course, goes over in a jiffy. 

The Delights of a Shell. 

, It is an error to suppose that the frail-looking, needle- 
like boat is only fit for racing purposes. For a day on 
the water, in calm weather, there is perhaps nothing more 
enjoyable than a single shell. The exertion required to 
send it on its way is so slight, and the speed so great, that 
many miles can be covered with small fatigue. Upon re- 
ferring to the log-book of the Nereus Club, where the dis- 
tances are all taken from the United States chart, the au- 
thor finds that twenty and thirty miles are not uncommon 
records for single-shell rows. 

During the fifteen or sixteen seasons that the author has 
devoted his spare time to. the sport he has often planned a 



Single Shells and Umbrella Canoes 215 

heavy cruising shell, but owing to the expense of having 
such a boat built he has used the ordinary racing boat, and 
found it remarkably well adapted for such purposes. Often 
he has been caught miles away from home in a blow, and 
only once does he remember of being compelled to seek 
assistance. 

He was on a lee shore and the waves were so high that 
after once being swamped he was unable to launch his boat 
again, for it would fill before he could embark. So a 
heavy rowboat and a coachman were borrowed from a 
gentleman living on the bay, and while the author rowed, 
the coachman towed the little craft back to the creek 
where the Nereus Club-house is situated. 

In the creek, however, the water was calmer, and rather 
than stand the jeers of his comrades, the writer embarked 
in his shell and rowed up to the boat-house float. He was 
very wet and his boat was full of water, but to the inquiry of 
" Rough out in the bay?" he confined himself to the simple 
answer — " Yes." Then dumping the water from his shell 
and placing it upon the rack, he put on his dry clothes and 
walked home, none the worse for the accident. 

After ordinary skill and confidence are acquired it is 
really astonishing what feats can be accomplished in a frail 
racing boat. 

It is not difficult to 

Stand Upright in a Shell, 

if you first take one of your long stockings and tie the 
handles of your oars together where they cross each other 
in front of you. The ends will work slightly and the 
blades will keep their positions on the water, acting as two 
long balances. Now slide your seat as far forward as it will 
go, slip your feet from the straps and grasp the straps 



2i6 Summer 

with your hand, moving the feet back to a comfortable 
position. When all ready raise yourself by pulling on the 
foot-strap, and with ordinary care you can stand upright 
in the needle-shaped boat, an apparently impossible thing 
to do when you look at the narrow craft. 

How to Land Where there is no Float. 

When for any reason you wish to land where there is no 
float, row into shallow water and put one foot overboard 
until it touches bottom. Then follow with the other foot, 
rise and you are standing astride of your boat. 

How to Embark Where there is no Float. 

Wade out and slide the shell between your extended 
legs until the seat is underneath you. Sit down, and, with 
the feet still in the water, grasp your oars. With these in 
your hands it is an easy task to balance the boat until you 
can lift your feet into it. 

Ozias Dodge's Umbrella Canoe. 

Mr. Dodge is a Yale man, an artist, and an enthusiastic 
canoeist. The prow of his little craft has ploughed its way 
through the waters of many picturesque streams in this 
country and Europe, by the river-side, under the walls of 
ruined castles, where the iron-clad warriors once built 
their camp-fires, and near pretty villages, where people 
dress as if they were at a fancy-dress ball. 

When a young man like Mr. Dodge says that he has 
built a folding canoe that is not hard to construct, is 
inexpensive and practical, there can be little doubt that 
such a boat is not only what is claimed for it by its 
inventor, but that it is a novelty in its line, and such is 
undoubtedly the case with the umbrella canoe. 



Single Shells and Umbrella Canoes 217 

How the Canoe was Built. 

The artist first secured a white-ash plank (A, Fig. 206), 
free from knots and blemishes of all kinds. The plank was 
one inch thick and about twelve feet long. At the mill he 
had this sawed into eight strips, one inch wide, one inch 
thick, and twelve feet long (B and C, Figs. 207 and 208). 
Then he planed off the square edges of each stick until 
they were all octagonal in form, and looked like so many 
great lead-pencils (D, Fig. 209). 

Mr. Dodge claims that, after you have reduced the ash 
poles to this octagonal form, it is an easy matter to whittle 
them with your pocket-knife or a draw-knife, and by taking 
off all the angles of the sticks make them cylindrical in form 
(E, Fig. 210); then smooth them off nicely with sand-paper, 
so that each pole has a smooth surface and is three-quarters 
of an inch in diameter. 

After the poles were reduced to this state he whittled 
all the ends to the form of a truncated cone — that is, like a 
sharpened lead-pencil with the lead broken off (F, Fig. 211) 
— a blunt point. He next went to a tinsmith and had two 
sheet-iron cups made, large enough to cover the eight pole- 
ends (G and G', Figs. 212 and 213). Each cup was six 
inches deep. After trying the cups or thimbles on the 
poles to see that they would fit, he made two moulds of 
oak. First he cut two pieces of oak plank two feet six 
inches long by one foot six inches (H, Fig. 214), which 
he trimmed into the form shown by J, Fig. 215, making a 
notch to fit each of the round ribs, and to spread them as 
the ribs of an umbrella are spread. He made two other 
similar moulds for the bow and stern, each of which, of 
course, is smaller than the middle one. After spreading 
the ribs with the moulds, and bringing the ends together in 



2l8 



Stmnner 





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Single Shells and Umbrella Canoes 219 



the tin cups, he made holes in the bottom of the cups where 
the ends of the ribs came, and fastened the ribs to the cups 
with brass screws, fitted with leather washers, and run 
through the holes in the tin and screwed into the ends of 
the poles or ribs. 

A square hole was then cut through each mould (K, Fig. 
216), and the poles put in place, gathered together at the 




Fig. 217. — Frame of Umbrella Canoe. 

ends, and held in place by the tin thimbles. The square 
holes in the moulds allow several small, light floor planks 
to form a dry fioor to the canoe. 

The canvas costs about forty-five cents a yard, and five 
yards are all you need. The deck can be made of drilling, 
which comes about twenty-eight inches wide, and costs 
about twenty cents a yard. Five yards of this will be 
plenty. Fit your canvas over the frame, stretch it tightly, 




Fig. 218. — Umbrella Canoe. 

and tack it securely to the two top ribs only. Fasten the 
deck on in the same manner. 

When Mr. Dodge had the canoe covered and decked, 
with a square hole amidship to sit in, he put two good 
coats of paint on the canvas, allowed it to dry, and his 



220 



Slimmer 



boat was ready for use (Fig. 218). He quaintly says that 
" it looked like a starved dog, with all its ribs showing 
through the skin," just as the ribs of an umbrella show on 
top through the silk covering. But this does not in any 
way impede the progress of the boat through the water. 

Where the moulds are the case is different, for the lines 
of the moulds cross the line of progress at right angles, 
and must necessarily somewhat retard the boat. But even 
this is not perceptible. The worst feature about the 




Fig. 219. — Canoe Folded for Transportation. Canoe in Water in Distance. 

moulds is that the canvas is very apt to be damaged there 
by contact with the shore, float, or whatever object it rubs 
against. 

With ordinary care the umbrella canoe 



Will Last for Years, 

and is a good boat for paddling on inland streams and small 
bodies of water ; and when you are through with it for the 
night all that is necessary is to remove the stretchers 
by springing the poles from the notches in the spreaders, 
roll up the canvas around the poles, put it on your 



Single Shells and Umbrella Canoes 221 

shoulder, and carry it home or to camp, as shown in 
Fig. 219. 

To put your canoe together again put in the moulds, fit 
the poles in their places, and the umbrella is raised, or, 
rather, the canoe is, if we can use such an expression in 
regard to a boat. 



CHAPTER XVIII 
HINTS FOR COLLECTORS 

How to Capture and Preserve Moths and Butterflies— A New Cabinet. 

With some marked exceptions, among which we are 
apt to place wasps, hornets, scorpions, and spiders, insects 
may be held of slight account as individuals. Collectively, 
however, they certainly at times demand serious con- 
sideration. 

We can scarcely regard with contemptuous indifference 
tribes, for instance, like those of the dreadful African ant, 
before whose armies of tiny, but savage, soldiers men 
and beasts ffy in terror, or the destructive termites, or 
white ants, whose countless hordes eat their way into 
everything made of wood, and hollow out tall telegraph 
poles until nothing remains but the merest shell, too weak 
to support their weight of wires. Sometimes, too, these 
wires are rendered useless by cobwebs, such as are woven 
by South American spiders, which form conducting lines 
and steal the messages. 

Nothing seems to be more preposterous than the idea 
that any number of insects can bring an engine and a train of 
cars to a standstill ; and yet every year the newspapers 
testify that it is not an uncommon occurrence. Caterpillars 
and, in some cases, grasshoppers appear in such quantities 
that the rails are rendered slippery with their crushed bodies 
and no progress is possible until the tracks are cleaned. 
In August of last year the daily journals had many graphic 



Hints for Collectors 



'J 



descriptions of "hold-ups" of locomotives by the innu- 
merable multitudes of potato -bugs that were endeavor- 
ing to pre-empt a right of way on the various lines of the 
Long Island Railroad. 

Practical Value of the Study of Insects. 

The study of insects is really a matter of no small im- 
portance to humanity, and the boy collector who imbibes 
a taste for this most intensely interesting study, when he 
breaks out of his boyhood state, to shake out his strong men- 
tal wings as a perfect man, may become the wise naturalist 
who shall show us how to do away with the danger of such 
small fry as potato-bugs " holding up " express trains or 
of robbing the hard-working truck gardener of his crop of 
new potatoes. He should also be able to tell the farmer 
how to prevent the devastating effect of a horde of grass- 
hoppers, or the vegetable gardener how to protect his cab- 
bage from the larvae of the white butterfly, or the ship- 
builder how to secure his lumber from the ruinous effect 
of " borers," and in a hundred ways be of great service to 
his country and to the world. 

All the great things that are to be done in the next fifty 
years will be done by men who at the present time are 
either unborn or are now common, every-day boys. They 
wear no badges to tell you they are to be great scientists, 
artists, authors, engineers or statesmen, but they are cer- 
tain to occupy those positions. The greatest man who ever 
lived was a boy to begin with, and the next to fill his place 
may be now reading this book — may perhaps be you ! 

The Popular Classification. 
With the exception of butterflies, the general public 
class the whole insect world under two heads — worms and 



224 Suin7ner 

bugs — and regard them with unqualified disgust. But this 
is only a sign of universal ignorance. 

Some insects are veritable living jewels; many possess 
all the iridescence of an opal. There are few of our pre- 
cious stones that cannot be matched in beauty by some 
despised creeping or buzzing insect. 

Baby butterflies and moths are properly called caterpil- 
lars, not worms. The caterpillar's taste is as varied as that 
of any other animal. Roots, wood, buds, flowers, wool, fur, 
flour, wax, lard, and meat, are some of the articles selected 
as food by different individuals, but the majority of these 
creeping infants live on the leaves of trees, shrubs, and 
other vegetables. 

If you take a sausage and tie bits of string around it at 
short intervals, you will have a very good model of a cater- 
pillar. Supply a little lump at one end for a head, some 
warts along the back, add from ten to sixteen small legs, 
and your sausage will be sufficiently lifelike to alarm any 
timid people who see it. 

The Life of Caterpillars. 

Caterpillars are as varied in their mode of life as in 
their choice of food. Some hide in the earth and only 
steal forth to feed; others dwell in crowded silken tene- 
ment-houses, while their relatives of different taste lead the 
solitary life of hermits or make themselves small tents of 
silk or huts of folded leaves. 

Every boy knows at which end of its body the spider's 
spinning apparatus is placed, but the caterpillar carries 
his thread at the other end, the silk issuing from a little 
tube in the middle of the lower lip. Inside the body 
there are two long bags of sticky stuff. The bags connect 



Hints for Collectors 225 

with the tube in the lower lip, and as the sticky fluid is 
forced out it is hardened into silk by the atmosphere. 

When a caterpillar grows too large for his skin he 
crawls out, dressed in a bran new suit of clothes that fit his 
increased dimensions comfortably. About four suits of 
clothes answer for the young butterfly, and he is ready to 
be born again. The change is all inside, and when he is 
good and ready and feels all right, he bursts open the skin 
on his neck and wiggles out; but his own brothers would 
not know him. 

He is shorter and thicker than ever before, has lost all 
of his ten or sixteen legs, and has no eyes, nose, mouth, or 
head. All he can do is to wriggle his funny ringed tail. 
This is what is called a chrysalis or pupa state. 

Not Ready to Fly. 

After hanging by the tip of his tail under a fence-rail, or 
after sleeping in his soft silken bed inside his waterproof 
cocoon, or covered in his bed of earth, as the case may be, 
for a sufficient time to regulate his internal anatomy, he 
again cracks open the skin on his back and crawls out a 
six-legged winged insect, but his wings are sadly crum- 
pled from being folded in the narrow quarters within the 
chrysalis skin. 

This, however, is a small matter, and still clinging with 
all six feet to his cast-off shell, he trembles and shakes until 
wrinkle after wrinkle and fold after fold is shaken out, 
and four beautiful wings move slowly up and down ; grad- 
ually their delicate framework is dried and hardened, and 
then we see one of the most beautiful of sights— a perfect 
butterfly or moth. 

The reason they are called lepidopters, or scaly wings, is 
because all that fine powder that rubs off so easily on one's 
IS 



226 



Summer 



fingers is not powder, but minute scales, which may be seen 
by examining what adheres to the fingers with a magnifying 
glass. 

As a rule, butterflies fly by day and moths at evening or 
night. Butterflies have knobbed " smellers," " feelers," or 
antennse, and moths have feathered antennas. Most moths 
are much thicker and shorter in the body than butterflies, 
but this is not invariably the case (Figs. 220 and 221). 



Important Differences. 

In studying insects examine and note the form and 
proportion of the heads, the length and form of the feelers 

(antennae), the plan of the 



Fig. 220. 



Fig. 221. 




veins in the wings, and the 
size and proportion of the 
latter, and you will soon 
see greater difference than 
there is between Irishmen, 
Germans, Hebrews, Eng- 
lishmen, negroes, and In- 
dians. 

The preservation of cat- 
erpillars for cabinet use is 
very difficult on account of 
their soft, perishable bodies. 
Some of the more minute ones may be prepared by heating 
a bottle in the oven until it is a little glass oven itself, and 
then inserting the small larvas in the bottle, where it will 
bake and dry, and may be then pinned in the cabinet or 
box the same as a moth, butterfly, or beetle. 



Fig. 220.— a Moth with Feathered " Feel- 
ers." 
Fig. 221. — A Butterfly with Knobbed 
" Feelers " 



Hints for Collectors 



227 







V/ -^ 



Fig. 222. — A Day in the Country. 



228 



Summer 



Drying Better than Alcohol. 

Alcohol will preserve almost any sort of specimen, I 
have bottles at home filled with all manner of creatures- 
bats, baby bats, mice, fish, lizards, and shrimp-like animals 
from salt water. For ten years they have remained undis- 
turbed and practically unchanged, but there is an unpleas- 
ant look about alcoholic specimens that is not present in 
cabinet collections of dried insects. 

For the purpose of study, however, those specimens 
preserved in spirits have many advantages over the dried 

ones. It is claimed that lar- 
v^ (young insects, grubs, 
caterpillars, etc.), if im- 
mersed in boiling water 
for half a minute and then 
placed in bottles contain- 
ing half water and half al- 
cohol, will retain all their 
natural colors and form. Mr. Packard, in his most valua- 
ble book on this subject, advises the use of whiskey as a 
preservative for a few days before placing the caterpillars 
in their final resting-place in vials of alcohol, the latter be- 
ing so strong that all soft specimens vv^ill shrivel and shrink 
when placed in it without preparation. 

The careful and methodical German collector prepares 
beautiful, if frail, specimens by first squeezing the insides 
out of the baby butterflies, and then with a blowpipe made 
with the nozzle fitted over a fine straw, and worked by a 
bladder filled with air, he blows up the larvce skin by 
squeezing the bladder under his arm or between his knees, 
while with his hands he holds the little skin over a small 
lamp, so that it dries in its distended form. 




Fig. 223. — Caterpillars. 



Hints for Collectors 229 

The perfect insect — that is, the full-grown winged but- 
terfly or moth — may also be preserved in alcohol, after 
the manner described for the larvae, but the most artistic 
and beautiful specimens are the dried ones. 

Common-Sense Needed. 

The best specimens are only procured by rearing the 
young and collecting the full-grown butterflies after they 
have freed themselves from their horny chrysalis. The 
space allowed for these hints is too short for a detailed 
account of the science of caterpillar farming, but this 
I can say : By experiment you can learn more than can be 
taught by* books. 

If a larva is found eating willow leaves, it does not 
require a ponderous volume on natural history to tell a 
bright, intelligent boy that willow leaves are good food for 
that particular young insect. If the experimenter finds that 
sprinkling the food leaves in his farming box with water 
causes the caterpillars to swell up with a sort of fungus 
growth, killing them, he is bright enough to keep his 
leaves dry the next time. If his pets seem restless and 
pained by the sunlight, his common-sense will tell him to 
put them in the shade ; so I must rely on his good Ameri- 
can common-sense observation, judgment, and ingenuity to 
supply the information that want of space makes imprac- 
ticable to insert here. 

How to Make a Cabinet. 

Any broad, flat box will answer, but it should be neatly 
joined, with a cover that fits closely. Some collectors use 



* Chapter XXV., American Boys' Handy Book, gives many novelties which, 
of course, are omitted here. 



230 Summer 

flat strips of cork, glued in the bottom, to pin their speci- 
mens on ; others stretch a piece of drawing-paper on a 
frame that fits closely in the box and leaves a half or 
quarter of a inch air-space underneath, for the purpose of 
stowing gum camphor or other drugs to keep the moths, 
buffalo beetles, and other "small pests from destroying the 
dried insects. But the following plan will be found most 
convenient : 

Make a false bottom of wood or card-board; fit it 
securely in the box on a frame that holds the false bottom, 

Fig. 212. Fig. 213. 




Figs. 224, 225. — The American Boy's New Box for Insects. 

about half an inch from the real bottom. Through the 
false bottom bore a series of round holes of a size to fit a 
number of small corks. In the top of these corks the 
specimens are pinned (Figs. 224 and 225). 

This cabinet has a great advantage over the others, for 
the collector can remove any cork, with the specimens 
attached, for examination or show with the least possible 
danger of injuring the frail object (Fig. 213). Lumps of 
camphor or other moth-preventive drugs can be freely in- 
serted under the false bottom with no danger of damaging 
the collection by the heavy particles of the drug coming 
in contact and breaking the dried insects. 



Hints for Collectors 



231 



At any drug store, 
and raan}'^ candy stores, 
you can for a trifling 
sum buy wide, open- 
mouthed bottles with a 
metal top that screws 
on, in place of the 
clumsy, old-fashioned 
cork; these make per- 
fect collecting bottles. 
Take a piece of com- 
mon blotting - paper, 
cut from it several 
pieces in the form of 
circular disks just large 
.enough to fit tightly 
in the bottom of the 
bottle. Push one piece 
down until it rests 
snugly on the bottom 
of the bottle. Satu- 
rate it with chloro- 
form, ether, benzine, 
or creosote ; then fit a 
dry piece of blotting- 
paper over the wet 
one, and another dry 
piece in the metal 
stopper. Screw the 
top quickly on, and 
the fumes of the drug 
will fill the bottle, 
forming a death-deal- 



FiG. 226. 




Fig. 227. 



Fig. 228. 



Fig. 226.— a Killing Bottle. 
Fig. 227. — A Grub in Spirits. 
Fig. 228.— a Beetle on Flat Cork. 



232 



Summer 



ing atmosphere to any unfortunate insect you may capture 
and drop in the fatal glass chamber (Fig. 226). 

Often the opportunity presents itself of capturing a 
small moth or butterfly without touching its delicate wings 
with your clumsy finger, for if the insect is carefully ap- 
proached, the top removed from the bottle and the latter 
inverted and placed over the victim, it will cease to live 
without a struggle and, with its dainty wings unmarred, 

may be preserved in your collec- 
tion. 

Before going hunting insects, 
fill your pockets with all the pill 
boxes and glass vials that you 
can conveniently carry, and, armed 
with a net made of light gauze or 
mosquito-netting, sally forth. No 
game laws protect your game, no badly spelled and un- 
grammatical notices warn you not to hunt insects on the 
farms, because the farmers are all glad to have you make 
war on their little but expensive enemies. 




Fig. 229. — Insect on Drying 
Board. 



Useful Occupation. 

You will experience as much jo}^ in securing a rare 
■specimen as any hunter does in his successful efforts to 
help exterminate the beautiful, harmless, and useful birds, 
and you are conscious of the fact that while enjoying your- 
self and adding to your stock of health and useful knowl- 
edge, you are also in a small way making war on the 
enemies of the trees and flowers. 

While it is true that many insects are of absolute benefit 
to mankind, it is also true that the moths and butterflies 



Hints for Collectors 2^2> 

and many other insects, though they be dreams of love- 
liness in form and color and add beauty and interest to the 
flowers and fields, make us pay for their beauty by the 
destruction of crops which each year amounts to thousands 
and thousands of dollars. 



CHAPTER XIX 

HONEY-BEE MESSENGERS 

How to Send a Cipher Message by the Bee Line — The Key — Bee 
Stings and How to Avoid Them. 

Monsieur Taynac, the celebrated French bee expert 
at Versailles, has a hive of several thousand bees trained 
like carrier pigeons, which he offers for the French mili- 
tary service. 

This is an idea for boys to follow — not to be used in 
any such old-fashioned, barbarous practice as the wholesale 
murder called war, but in healthy, modern, up-to-date, 
intelligent play. If one of my readers or one of his friends, 
anywhere within ten or fifteen miles of his home, owns a 
hive of bees, the two can use the little insect to carry mes- 
sages between their respective homes. 

With your butterfly net catch some honey-bees, or, 
better still, trap them with a box set in front of the door- 
way of the hive. Make a hole in the box like the hive door, 
and the insects will enter the box under the impression that 
by that means they can reach their home. The boy who 
lives at a distance takes 

The Box of Bees 

home with him, and liberates them in a closed room, where 
he has placed a saucer of honey or syrup. After the bees 



Honey-Bee Messengers 



235 



have fed on the sjrup he opens the windows and they, of 
course, will go directly home. Bees have been known to 
travel fifteen or twenty miles, but these are long distances. 
Monsieur Taynac's bees traversed ten miles with messages 
on their backs ; they travelled at the rate of twelve and one- 
half miles per hour. Boys at school used to catch blue- 
bottle flies, and with fine thread fastened bits of paper to 
their legs and let them loose in the school-room, to the 
delight of the other pupils, and the annoyance of the 
patient and long-suffering teacher ; but the paper message 
is glued on the bee's thorax between the wings and the 

head. 

How to Make the Message. 

With a little pair of scissors cut some small slips of pa- 
per in the form of Fig. 233. Make a slit at the bottom, and 




Fig. 230. Fig. 231. Fig. 232. Fig. 233. 

Fig. 230. — Sticking the Messages on the Bee. Fig. 232. — Bottle of Fish Glue. 

Fig. 231. — The Tweezers. Fig. 233. — Paper for Message, 

bend the divided parts in opposite directions. Monsieur 
Taynac used isinglass with which to glue the paper to his 
bees, but there are other glues that will answer. Mucilage 
can be made to serve the purpose ; but great care must 
be taken to prevent daubing the sticky stuff on the poor 
insect's wings or legs. 



236 



Summer 



How to Handle the Bees. 

The best manner of handling bees, and the safest way to 
prevent being stung, is to use a small pair of tweezers 
to pick them up with and to hold them (Figs. 230 and 
231). Monsieur Taynac uses a little gauze cage to trans- 
port his bees. When a bee with a letter on his back reaches 
the home hive, the message standing upright on his back 

prevents him from entering the door- 
way, and the owner on watch finds 
the messenger bee crawling around 
and captures him. 

How to Write the Message. 

The bit of paper is so small that it 
would be difficult to write even a 
sentence on it, but any boy with a 
hard, sharp pencil can make a few 
figures on the slip, and if his friend 
has a key he can read the message. 
Each figure may stand for a sentence, 
and with i, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, o, 
you will have ten sentences. If you 
add the alphabet to this and allow 
each letter from A to Z to stand for a sentence, you will 
have twenty-six more, or thirty-six sentences in all ; and, 
with thirty-six well-chosen sentences a great deal can be 
said. You may add thirty-six more by adding a dot over 
each letter and number, thus, 3 or D ; and thirty-six more 
by a dash over each character, thus, 3 or D. Here we 
have 3 for one sentence, 3 for another, 3 for still another. 
With the aid of a magnifying glass and a finely pointed 
pencil several sentences may be put on one bit of paper. 




Fig. 234. — Enlarged View of 
Honey Bee with Message. 
Drawn from a photograph. 



Honey- Bee Messengers 237 

Suppose A to stand for some such sentence as this: 
" If to-morrow is pleasant," and B to stand for " Meet me 
after school at the old chestnut-tree," and nine with a dot 
over it (9) to mean " We will go a-fishing," A 9 B will be 
read by your friend: " If to-morrow is pleasant we will go 
a-fishing. Meet me after school at the old chestnut-tree." 

How to Make Your Key. 

Write the numbers, beginning with i and ending with o, 
in a column, 2 below i, 3 below 2, etc. Opposite each num- 
ber write the sentence you wish it to represent, below the 
first column of figures place a second column, in every way 
similar to the first, except that each figure has a dot over 
it ; then a third, each figure with a dash over it ; then three 
alphabets, one plain, one with a dot, and the third with a 
dash above each letter. Opposite each character write the 
sentence you desire it to stand for in your code. 

Of this key make a duplicate, which is to be given to 
your correspondent. 

Bee Stings and How to Avoid Them. 

Some cousins of mine and myself had been gathering 
nuts on the shores of Lake Erie and were sitting on an old 
log to rest and crack a few walnuts. We had not ham- 
mered long on the old log before we were aware of a 
peculiar buzzing noise inside, and the next thing that 
claimed our attention was a stream of very angry yellow- 
jackets pouring out of a hole in the log, all intent upon 
wreaking vengeance upon the disturbers of their peace. I 
fled in dismay, wildly swinging my hat, but ray two coun- 
try cousins stood stock still and were passed unnoticed by 
the angry insects, all of whom devoted their entire attention 
to me with a persistency that baffled my most energetic 



238 Summer 

efforts to fight them off. They stung me in the back of the 
neck, in the edge of my hair, behind the ears, and even 
crawled down inside my collar and left their stings in my 
back until I howled with pain. 

Experience is a Good School. 

I have seldom been stung since, and the few times I 
have suffered have been what might be called accidents. 
Once I put on a hat that had a lot of bumble bees in it; 
once I took up a pail and a wasp at the same time, but I 
never since have been attacked by a swarm, although it has 
happened that bees, wasps, and yellow-jackets have rushed 
out of their homes with murder in their hearts, and finding 
only a perfectly motionless figure, have either passed me by 
or alighted on me, crawled around for awhile, and then 
flown away without once unsheathing their sharp little 
swords. 

A Bee's Stinger. 

Under a powerful microscope the point of a cambric 
needle looks like the blunt end of a crowbar, and the 
point of a pin is no point at all; but the sting of a bee is 
sharp even under the powerful magnifying glasses of the 
microscope, and when magnified a thousand times it still 
looks as a fine needle-point does to the naked eye. 

I have always found almost immediate relief when the 
sting left by a bee or wasp has been removed. This may 
be done with a needle or with the pointed blade of a pocket- 
knife. But the best plan is to use care and then you will 
not be stung. 



CHAPTER XX 

A "ZOO" 

For the Housetop or the Backyard — How to Build a Coop for Animals 
on the Roof or in the Yard — The Way to Provide Homes for Various 
Kinds of Pets. 

Ascending any of the modern "sky-scraper" buildings 
and gazing around at the vast city beneath, one is interested 
in the acres and acres of wasted space of tin and gravel 
roofs. I know of no good reason why this space may not 
be utilized for pleasure. -Roof-gardens are not difficult to 
construct, and can do no possible damage to the buildings 
if they are properly made. 

Boys in the city have " no place to be," as I heard one 
of them express it. They are fretful and a nuisance in the 
house, and on the street they are a constant source of anx- 
iety to their parents, and annoyance to the policemen. All 
boys with healthy minds are fond of pets, and as I look out 
of my studio window on the unoccupied fields of red tin 
and white gravel roofs I wonder that the space is not used 
for the neglected young people of the city, or that the 
young people do not pre-empt claims, as their ancestors 
did the sites upon which the buildings are built. 

Strange Birds on the City Housetops. 

Up aloft, above the crowded, noisy streets, you are more 
free to breathe, to see and to enjoy life. Overhead is the 



240 



Swnmer 



blue sky, as yet unmarred by "no trespass" signs, and 
unfrequented by policemen. Even the wild birds know 
this, and 1 have myself seen a bald-headed eagle calmly 
roosting on a flag-pole, gazing with dignified curiosity upon 
the crazy lot of human beings hurrying along crowded 
Broadway. Not long ago, casually looking over a roof on 




Fig. 235.— a City Boy's Zoo. 

Fifth Avenue, I saw a black-crested night heron patiently 
standing on one leg in a pool of rain-water, awaiting the 
appearance of some unwary fish or frog, all unconscious of 
the fact that such creatures do not, as a rule, frequent red 
tin roofs. 

Once, while experimenting with a new kind of kite for 
the boys, and losing my patience over the network of wires 
that then covered the dovyntown roofs, I was startled to 



A ''Zoo 



241 



see that I was watched by a great Virginia horned owl, 
perched upon a neighboring smokestack. 

A friend whose business is among the great warehouses 
along the river-front tells me that on more than one 
occasion he has seen yellow-legs running over the roofs and 
shy woodcock boring for 

worms in the soft black mud ^^^ 

accumulated in the gutters 
on the tops of high build- 
ings. 

Material Easy to Get. 

Now, since these wild 
creatures visit the tops of 
buildings of their own ac- 
cord, why cannot the boys 
use the vacant housetops 
for private zoological gar- 
dens of their own, where 
white rats, coons, crows, 
herons, pigeons, and chick- 
ens could be reared and en- 
joyed? Coops, pens, and 
inclosures can, with little 
ingenuity, be built for the 
shelter and protection of 
the pets. Wire-netting is an ideal material for such struct- 
ures. All boys, however, are not supplied with the requis- 
ite amount of money, but I never yet saw the boy who 
could not obtain a few old barrels, and the barrel-staves are 
most excellent material for pigeon- or chicken-coops and 
rabbit-houses. What will do for these animals will do for 
any creature a boy is likely to possess. 
16 




Fig. 236.— End View of House. 



242 



Summer 




Fig. 237.— End Pieces Set Up. 



You Must Be a Carpenter. 

Select two sticks for uprights, and let them be exactly 

the same length and long enough to enable 3^ou to stand up 

inside the coop when it is 
finished. 

Cut two more uprights 
a foot or two shorter, to 
give a pitch to your roof. 
Lay these on the floor, 
and nail on firmly cross- 
pieces, as shown in Fig. 
236, the frame for the ends 
of your house. Place the 
largest upright against 

the fire-wall of the roof, and fasten it there ; at the proper 

distance — say six feet, set up the other end piece (Fig. 

237) ; connect the front and rear with cross-pieces, as in 

Fig. 238, and erect two more uprights for door -jambs 

(see A B and C D, Fig. 

238); nail all firmly togeth- 

er, and fasten on the roof 

the stringer (E F, Fig. 238) 

and the braces G H, I J, 

G L, and J K ; split a num. 

ber of barrel - staves, and 

nail them on, as in Fig. 235. 
For the roof of the coop 

use whole staves in place 

of shingles, and lay them 

tile fashion. Make one row on the lower end of the roof, 

all with their hollow, or concave, side up, and place them 

several inches apart. At the upper end place a second row 




Fig. 



238. — Frame of House. 



A ''Zoo 



243 



in the same manner. Commence again at the bottom, and 
place a second row of staves, each overlapping the staves 
on each side, and covering the open spaces left between the 
first ones; these last must 
have their round, that is, 
their convex, side up. Re- 
peat the process for the 
second tier, and the roof 
is complete and water- 
tight. 

Make a door-frame of 
four sticks. Cross it with 
slats of split staves. From 
the soles of cast-off shoes 




Fig. 239. — Finished House. 



make a pair of leather hinges, and, with the addition of a 
hook and eye, the thing is done. 

Plank the back end up solid above the fire-walls, and 
you have a good, substantial chicken-coop, rabbit-house, or 
cage for other pets. A run-way for exercise room for your 
pets may be connected with the coop by a door, as in Fig. 
240. 

Splendid for a Yard, too. 

This same house is first-class in a yard, if any of you city 
boys are fortunate enough to have one, and when neatly 

built looks well, and, if you 
choose, its cost will be 




Fig. 240. — Run-way. 



absolutely nothing, except 
the exercise of your mus- 
cle and brain. 

There are boys, and 
many of them to-day, who have spending-money freely 
given to them by their wealthy parents, and who can con- 
sequently buy whatever they wish. This is an unfortunate 



244 



Summer 



condition for the bojs to be placed in, for, as a rule, they 
will never know the real pleasure of being a boy. But even 
these boys may have some fun if, in place of buying things 
outright, they spend their money for materials and then 
make their own playthings — rabbit-houses, kites, and sleds. 
The boy with money may have beautiful carpenter-tools, 
plenty of selected timber, and wire netting, and with these 
and a little skill he may build houses for his pets which will 
be an ornament to his father's grounds. But while his 
wire-netted cages will look more expensive, the barrel-stave 
cage will answer all purposes, and, if neatly made, will 
look more picturesque. 




Fig. 241. 



CHAPTER XXI 
CHOOSING UP AND "IT" 

"Which Hand is It in ? "— " Pick'er Up, Wipe'er Off, and Stone- 
holder" — "Last One Over" — Short Straw — Handy, Dandy, Riderly 
Ro— "Whole Fist or Four Fingers "—" Odd or Even?"— "Wet 
or Dry ? " 

TWENTY-FIVE years ago a popular method of deciding 
which boy should be "It" was called "Which hand is it 
in?" A boy, in the party about to engage in some game, 
would pick up a pebble, and facing his companions he 
would put his hands behind him and place the stone in 
either hand to suit himself. Then extending his closed fists 
to a companion he would exclaim, "Which hand is it in?" 

The companion, after due study and deliberation, would 
say, "Not that!" as he slapped one extended fist with his 
open hand. If the hand he chose was empty he would " go 
free ;" if not, he would take the stone and go through the 
same performance with the next boy, and thus the process 
would continue. Each lad went free when he passed the 
stone on, and each lad who guessed the empty hand went 
free, until all had had a chance and one boy was left hold- 
ing the stone in his hand. 

The evident objection to this method is that the first 
boy has every chance to go free — that is, if there are six 
boys the first one has only one chance in six of being 
caught, and the next one one chance in five. But the last 



246 Summer 

one has only one chance in two of going free. This does 
not appear to affect the popularity of this method, although 
the eagerness of the boys to hold the stone first, or to have 
first choice, plainly shows that they fully understand the 
importance of first choice. 

Of course the last boy to hold the stone is " It." 

" Pick'er up, Wipe'er off, and Stone-holder " 

stands as evidence that the boys see nothing unfair in the 
old method of " Which hand is it in," and that they deem 
it right that the boy whose wits are the quickest is entitled 
to go free. 

As soon as a game is proposed nowadays one lad shouts 
"Pick'er up! "as he stoops and picks up a pebble. The 
words are not out of his mouth before another cries 
" Wipe'er off! " and a third " Stone-holder." 

Pick'er-up hands the stone to Wipe'er-off. Pick'er-up is 
then free, Wipe'er-off makes a great show of wiping the 
stone off on his trouser leg, and hands it to Stone-holder. 
Wipe'er-off is then free and Stone-holder puts his hands be- 
hind him, arranges the stone as described in the preceding 
method and allows the next boy to choose which hand it is 
in. The last lad to hold the stone is " It." 

"Last One Over is 'It!'" 

This is a simple but exciting mode of deciding who shall 
be in that terrible position described as " It." 

Suppose that a group of boys are standing by a fence 
and one of them proposes a game of " I spy." No sooner 
is the proposition made than another lad shouts " Last one 
over the fence is ' It ! ' " 

Immediately all is confusion and hubbub. Each boy is 
trying his best to scramble, leap, vault, or tumble over the 



Choosing Up and " // " 247 

fence before his companions can perform the feat. Some- 
times the cry is " Last one across the street ! " or " Last one 
to the corner and back ! " etc. 

Whatever it be, a trial of speed, agility, or skill, that is 
proposed, the last boy to accomplish the feat is " It." 

Short Straw. 

From a handful of straws or grass, one of the boys selects 
as many pieces as there are to be players in the proposed 
game. One of the blades of grass or pieces of straw is cut 
off so that it will be much shorter than the other pieces. 

" Straw-holder" arranges the straws so that the top ends 
protrude from his closed list, either perfectly even or irreg- 
ular in their height above the hand according to his fancy. 
It may happen that the first boy to choose a straw will 
select the short one. This in a measure spoils the fun, and 
to guard against it the lads are often made to stand up in 
a line and each one in turn pulls a straw from the fist of 
" Straw-holder." Each one is expected and required to 
put it behind his back immediately and keep it there until 
all the boys in the line have straws behind their backs. 

Then " Straw-holder," holding up the straw left in his 
own hand, cries, " Who is short straw ? " At that each boy 
produces his straw and compares it with the others. 

While it adds greatly to the interest to have all the 
straws of different lengths, it is best to make the short straw 
unmistakably shorter than any of its fellows. Otherwise 
the game may be broken up by a heated and angry dispute, 
a state of affairs never desirable and one which is easily 
avoided by the precaution suggested above. 

After comparison of the relative length of all the straws, 
the boy found with the shortest straw in his possession is 
" It" 



248 Summer 

"Handy, Dandy, Riderly, Ro." 

This is another form of " Which hand is it in," only in 
this case the fists are put one above the other. One hand 
contains a button, stone, piece of coal, or any other object, 
and the other hand is empty. The two hands are then 
clenched tightly and are extended out in front of the 
" Stone- holder," who shouts "Handy, dandy, riderly, ro ! 
Which will you have, high or low ? " 

The boy appealed to makes a guess. If he guesses the 
empty hand he goes free. If he guesses the hand with the 
stone in it he takes the stone and says, " Handy, dandy," 
etc., to the next player, who guesses high or low as suits 
him. The last one to hold the stone is " It." 

" Whole Fist or Four Fingers ? " 

shouts one of the boys, as he grasps with his right hand the 
middle of a base-ball bat or broom-stick. Immediately the 
other boys fall in line and the lad with the stick tosses it to 
the first boy in such a manner that the stick does not lose 
its upright position. The first boy must catch it with his 
left hand, and he is not allowed to move his hand after 
catching it until the test is over, or until his turn comes 
around again and he puts his other hand on. 

Number two in the line now grasps the stick with his 
right hand just above and close against number one's hand. 
Number three does the same with his left hand and so on 
until the first boy's turn again comes. Then this boy puts 
one hand on and number one puts his right hand on the 
stick until at last one boy is unable to get his whole fist or 
four fingers on the stick. When that happens, the boy that 
fails is " It." 

This is a poor method where there are four or more 



Choosing Up and '*//" 249 

boys in the game, but for any game where the captains 
choose their sides it is a very popular method of deciding 
between the two captains which shall have first choice. 
When only two are choosing, the first tosses the bat, as de- 
scribed, the second catches it with his left hand, then the 
first puts his right hand on top of the second's left, the 
second places his right hand on top of the first boy's right ; 
and in this manner the hands climb to the top of the bat or 
stick until the time comes when one is unable to get four 
fingers on the bat. 

When this occurs the other boy has first choice of his 
playmates for the game that is to follow, which is usually 
a game of ball. While evidently not invented for that pur- 
pose, still the author has often seen " Whole fist or four 
fingers" used to decide who should be "It." 

"Odd or Even?" 

is also generally used to decide who shall have first choice 
in a " choosing up " game, but like " Whole fist or four 
fingers " it is sometimes used for counting out. One boy 
takes the contents of his pocket, a handful of marbles, 
Jack-stones, pebbles, coin, or whatever is handy, and hold- 
ing out his closed hand cries "Odd or even?" meaning, 
" Have I an odd or even number of objects in my hand ?" 
The other boy makes a guess, and if it is correct he has 
first choice, and if not the first choice falls to the share of 
the one who holds the objects. 

When used in counting out the boy who guesses cor- 
rectly goes free, v/hile he who does not turns to the next and 
cries " Odd or even ? " with his extended hand filled with 
the contents of his own pocket. When all are free but one, 
that one is " It." 



250 SMinmer 



"Heads or Tails?" 

It seems absurd that any one should deem it necessary 
to describe in detail this method of deciding a disputed 
point, but the author has written a great many things for 
boys, and consequently learned much b}'^ experience. He 
knows that he will be forgiven much more readily for de- 
scribing something the reader is perfectly familiar with 
than he will for taking it for granted that the reader knows 
all about it, which, if true, would do away with the neces- 
sity of books altogether. 

Throw up a cent or other coin and cry " Heads or 
tails?" Your playmate must make his choice and call out 
his guess while the coin is in the air. Then both stoop and 
examine the piece of money as it rests on the ground. If 
the side with the date on it is up, that is " heads " ; if the 
other side is up, it is " tails." If your playmate's guess 
was correct, he has first choice for sides in the game you 
are about to play ; otherwise you have first choice. 

When this game is used for counting out, each one goes 
free who makes a lucky guess, and each one who fails tosses 
the coin for the next one to guess. If at any time the coin 
does not lie flat on the ground, but rests wholly or partly 
upon its edge, that toss does not count, and it must be 
tossed over again. 

When all the boys but one have gone free, the boy who 
is left is '' It." 

"Wet or Dry?" 

This was formerly the method of deciding who should 
have first choice for sides in a game of ball. Not base-ball, 
for it was before that now popular game had made its ap- 
pearance. It was used for " town-ball," a game played with 
a flat bat like a cricket bat. One boy would dampen one 



Choosing Up and ''It'' 251 

side of the bat, and then send the bat twirling in the air, 
and the other boy would guess which side would come up, 
wet or dry. Often one side of the bat would be marked 
with a piece of chalk or soft brick, and that side was called 
wet. But the old flat bat and the old game have both been 
swept aside. 

" Wet or dry " has not disappeared, however, with the 
bat that originated it. If any one will watch the boys care- 
fully as they scream and shout at their play, he will no 
doubt, sooner or later, see the youngsters decide " first 
choice " by throwing up a chip and crying " Wet or dry ? " 
The choice is decided exactly as it is in " Heads or tails," 
or " Odd or even," and when the chip is used in counting 
out, as in " Heads or tails," " Odd or even," or " Which 
hand is it in," each boy has a turn to guess. The boy who 
fails, tosses the chip, until another unlucky playmate fails, 
when he in his turn tosses the chip, crying " Wet or dry ?" 
This goes on until all the boys are free but one, and as this 
one, should he choose to toss the chip, would have no one 
to guess but himself, he gracefully accepts the situation 
and becomes " It." 



CHAPTER XXII 
COUNTING OUT RHYMES 

How the Game is Played — Various Rhymes — An American Version of 
an Ancient Rhyme — Causes of Variations — Rhymes of Different 
Nationalities. 

The full-grown man who hears the once familiar words, 
or rather articulate sounds, of " On-ery, ore-ry, ick-ery, 
Ann ! " without a pleased smile o'erspreading- his face, is a 
man devoid of sentiment, or a man with no fond memories 
of his own boyhood days. 

For untold centuries the boys have handed the queer, 
whimsical rhymes down to their younger playmates with 
only slight variations. " On-ery, ore-ry " is sometimes 
" one-ry, two-ery," etc., but the author has made diligent 
inquiry among his young acquaintances and has been un- 
able to find more than one or two verses that were not 
familiar to him in his own childhood. 

After consulting the rhymes contributed by H. Carring- 
ton Bolton, of Trinity College, to the Boston Journal of 
Education; those published in the New York Mail and 
Express of May 9, 1885 ; a collection in the Journal of 
American Folk-Lore, and a collection by William Wells 
Newell, in his interesting book of " Games and Songs of 
American Children," the author is still unable to add many 
new ones to his list. 



Counting Out Rhymes 253 



How to Count Out. 

These quaint rhymes seem to be the common property 
of all children, especially those of the Anglo-Saxon or 
Anglo-Norman race. We all know how these rhymes are 
used. A game is about to be started and one boy chooses 
to count out. After a brief clamor of protests from his 
playmates, all of whom are anxious to do the counting 
themselves, the first boy is generally allowed to proceed. 

Standing his playmates in a row in front of him, or in 
a circle around him, he places his forefinger on his own 
breast and impressively pronounces the word " one-ery." 
Placing his finger on the breast of the first playmate to the 
left he repeats " two-ery " or " ory " according to his ver- 
sion of the rhyme. With each mystic word he places his 
finger upon the chest of a playmate until he comes to 
"■ buck." Buck is out, or free, and the count commences 
over again, each buck going free until only one boy is left, 
and he is " It." 

Som.etimes it happens that there are more boys than 
words in the counting rhyme, or the counter foresees that 
he himself will be " It." In both cases he adds to the verse 

something like this : 

One, two, three, 
Out goes he ! 

Often he will add a whole verse and dialogue as follows : 

One, two, three, 

Out goes he 

Into the middle 

Of the deep blue sea ! 

Are you willing to be IT ? 

Here the boy indicated answers "yes" or " no " as it 
suits him, and the counter continuing, repeats, " N — O 



254 Summer 

spells No," or " Y — E — S spells Yes, and you are out. 
O—U—T spells Out!" 

This is spoken with long pauses between the words or 
letters. " Out" is free, and the counting commences again: 

One-ry, or-ry, ickery, Ann ! 
Fillison, foUison, Nicholas, John. 
Queevy, quavy, English Navy, 
Stinckelum, stanklum, buck! 

Or, as it is sometimes repeated : 

One-ery, two-ery, hickory han, 
Fillison, follison, Nicholas, John. 
Queevy, quavy, Virgin Mary, 
Stingelum, stangelum, berry buck ! 

Some say " English navy," some " Virgin Mary," some 
" Irish Mary," etc. As a rule, " English navy " is for boys, 
and ''Virgin" or "Irish Mary" for girls. Some end 
with simple " buck," some with " berry buck," some with 
" John buck," others with " Jericho buck," etc. According 
to Mr. Bolton there are at least thirty variations of this 
rhyme, but the lines given here will be all that are neces- 
sary for our purpose. 

A Counting Verse. 

It is evident that " Mother Goose " and various other 
nursery books have contributed some of the verses used, 
but none of these have the true ring in them. It is appar- 
ent that the following has been adapted by the boys for 
the purpose of a counting verse : 

One a penny bun. 

Two a penny bun. 

One a penny, two a penny ; 

Out goes one ! 



Counting Out Rhymes 255 



And this 



One a penny bun, 

Two a penny bun, 

One a penny, two a penny 

Hot cross buns ! 

If your mother don't like 'em. 

Give them to her son. 

One a penny, two a penny, 

Out goes one ! 

The following rhyme is unmistakably 

An American Version of an Ancient Verse. 

It brings in our colored brother in the "befo' de wah" 

style. 

Enna, mena, mina, mo. 
Catch a niga by the toe ; 
When he hollers, let him go, 
Enna, mena, mina, mo ! 

It is evident that the above American verse has been 
built on the framework of the antique Cornwall rhyme 
which has the reputation of coming down from the Druid 
priests of ancient Britain : 

Ena, mena, mona, mite, 
Pasca, laura, bona, bite, 
Eggs, butter, cheese, bread, 
Stick, stock, stone, dead. 

Another verse springing from the same root is familiar 
to the boys all over the land in some one of its many varia- 
tions : 

Ana, mana, mona, Mike, 
Barcelona, bona, strike ; 
Care, ware, frow, frack, 
Hallico, ballico, we, wo, wack ! 
Huddy, guddy, boo, 
Out goes you ! 



256 Stnmner 

The last two lines are frequently added to other verses, 
and do not belong to any one rhyme in particular. 

Another form, or variation, very commonly heard, is the 
same as the last with this exception, in place of " Barcelona, 
bona, strike," we have "Tuscalona, bona, strike." 

Many differences in the sounds or words which compose 
these verses are due to the different pronunciations of the 
boys. West of the Alleghany Mountains the boys will say 
"Wee, wo, whack f But in New York and along the 
Atlantic coast the boys drop the "h" in whack as they do 
in " white," " what," and " whip," which they pronounce 
" wite," " wat," and " wip." Consequently the New York 
boy says " Hallico, ballico, we, wo, zvacky Here is another 
ending that the counter sometimes adds to his verse to 
lengthen it or to save himself from being " It." 

Three cheers for the red, white, and blue ! 
All are out but you ! 

In this case the one named " you " is ** It," and all the others 
go free. 

Some Good Rhymes. 

Among the many notes made for this chapter there are 
some for the explanation of which it was evidentl}' intended 
that the memory should suppl}^ the data. But in the case 
of the following verse memory has failed to do its duty. 
The lines, however, make good counting out rhymes with 
the real swing in them. 

Fip Dick, bumphrey gig, 
Mother Hop-foot milled a pig ; 
Ithy, mithy, owery, gout, 
Lytle tinkar, thou art out ! 

One-azall two a-zall, titter zai zan, 
Bobtailed Britisher, little girl Nan ; 



Counting Out Rhymes 257 

Harum, scarum, ball of hot rorum, 
Knuckle bone, crackle bone, bloody bone, 
Tuck! 

Mr. William Wells Newal gives a verse very similar to 
the last which he gets from Salem, Mass. It is interesting 
because it plainly shows that the phrase " One-azall, two 
a-zall " was originally " One is all, two is all," etc. 

One's all, zuzall, titterall, tawn, 
Bobtailed vinegar, little Paul ran, 
Harum, scarum, merchant marum, 
Nigger, turn-pike, toll-house out. 

There are few of my readers but have either used or 
heard the following : 

Monkey, monkey, bottle of beer. 
How many monkeys are they here ? 
One, two, three, 
Out goes he ! 

But I doubt if many of them are familiar with this : 

Ane, a-zall tane a-zall titterzall zee, 
Striddledum, straddledum, chicken knee, 
Ham, slam, musty jam, 
Stingum, stangum, bumble bee. 

A Quaint One from Georgia 

is given in "Games and Songs of American Children:" 

One-amy, nery, hickory, seven, 
Hallibone, crackabone, ten and eleven. 
Peep, — O, it must be done, 
Twiggle-twaggle, twenty-one ! 

A gentleman from Cambridge, Mass., gives the follow- 
ing one as a favorite rhyme used when he was a lad some 



258 Summer 

twenty-five years ago. There is nothing ancient either in 
the words or in the theme, but it has the elements of popu- 
larity which cannot fail to please some of my readers : 

Bee, bee, bumble bee. 
Stung Jacob on the knee, 
Stung Sally on the snout. 
Oh ! golly, you are out ! 

This Cambridge verse reminds me of one sometimes 
used in Kentucky : 

Ole Dan Tucker clum a tree. 

He clum so high he couldn't see, 

A lizard caught him by the snout 

And he hollered for a niga to pull him out ! 

0-U-T spells out. 

Dan Tucker was also very popular as a dance, and 
the verse was sung by the dancers. 

Another nursery jingle sometimes used for counting 

out is : 

Hickery dickery dock 
The mouse ran up the clock 
The clock struck one 
And down he come, 
Hickery dickery dock ! 

But this nas the genuine swing of the counting rhyme : 

Haley, Maley, Tipperley Tig, 
Teeny, Tiney, Tombo Nig, 
Goat throat, bank note, 
Tiney, Toney, Tiz ! 

And this is a familiar old timer : 

Five, six, seven, eight, 
Mary at the cottage gate. 
Eating plums off a plate. 
Five, six, seven, eight, 



Counting Out Rhymes 259 

1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8 ! 
Susan at the garden gate 
Eating grapes off a plate, 
1—2—3—4—5—6—7—8 ! 

Now she leaves the gate, changes her name, and goes 

to the door: 

One, two, three, four. 
Kitty at the cottage door, 
Eating plums off a plate, 
Five, six, seven, eight ! 

Susan and Kitty are both left out in the following and 
Mickey takes their place : 

One, tvi^o, three, 

Mickey caught a flea. 

The flea died and Mickey cried, 

Out goes he ! 

Mickey had no plate, and evidently it was neither plums 
nor grapes that bothered him. But a lady from *' down 
East "gives the following in which Kitty takes Mickey's 

place : 

One, two, three, 

Kitty caught a flea, 

The flea died and Kitty cried, 

Out goes she. 

This is evidently a version that has been adapted to fit 
girl players. In New Haven the boarding-school girls 
have still another variation. They claim that it was mother 
who caught the pest: 

One, two, three, 

Mother caught a flea 

The flea died and mother cried, 

One, two, three ! 



26o Stumner 

But no self-respecting- boy will use a girl's verse to count 
out by. So they may use "Mickey" or "Father" in the 
place of "Susan," "Kitty," and "Mother," or, better still, 
take another rhyme, for there are plenty of them. The 
verse most familiar to the author, because with the boys of 
his acquaintance it was the most popular, is : 

Intry, mintry, pepery corn, 

Apple seed and apple thorn ! 

Wire, brier, limber lock 

Three geese in a flock, 

One flew east, and one flew west, 

And one flew over the cuckoo's nest. 

Rhymes of Different Nationalities. 

Upon the wind-swept mountains of Scotland the bare- 
legged, kilted descendants of Rob Roy when preparing for 
a game in the heather count out with this verse : 

Eatum, peatum, penny, pie, 
Babyioni, stickum stie, 
Stand you out there by ! 

The little Irish lads have a very original rhyme of their 
own which the author believes few if any Americans have 

ever heard : 

A lirripeg, a larrapeg, 

A bee, a nail, a stone, a stack, 

A bonny Billie Gelpie, 

A Belia-bug, a warum rock, 

Crib-i-stery, Hick ! 

According to the New York Sun, Mr. Bolton says that 
the little Turks and Armenians used this count: 

Allem, Bellem, chirozi, 
Chirmirozi, fotozi. 



iJ 



Counting Otit Rhymes 261 

Fotoz, gider magara, 
Magarada tilki bash, 
Pilki beni korkootdi, 
Aallede shoouUede Edirnede, 
Divid bashi 
Ben Olayen kehad bashi, 

and we suppose that if the counter does not fall ill after the 
first count or lose control altogether of his tongue from the 
hard knots that he has tied in it, he continues his " Allem, 
Bellem, Chirozi " until all the " bashi " have gone free, leav- 
ing some little red-capped Mahomedan or Armenian as " It." 
The Turkish jingle is all about ghosts in a cave and 
foxes' heads and other queer things, with about as much 
sense in them as the English and American boys have in 
their rhymes. The Bulgarians have one about a strange 
sort of frog that jumps screaming from fence to fence, and a 
little white bone. The polite little French boy, as he bows 
to his companions, counts out in this fashion : 

Un, deux, trois. One, two, three, 

Tu ne Test pas ; Thou art not " it " ; 

Quatre, cinq, six, Four, five, six, 

Va-t'en d'ici ! Go away from here ! 

The sturdy little Dutchman, in his wooden shoes, counts 
out too : 

Een, twee, een kopje thee ; 
Een, klontje er bij, 
Af ben jij ! 

While the North German boy has evidently taken his 
rhyme from the same source we get ours from, for he says : 

Ene, tene, mone, mei. 
Paster, lone, bone strei. 
Ene, fune, herke, berke, 
Wer ? Wie ? Wo ? Was ? 



262 Summer 

A verse from India that Mr. Bolton gives also has a 
familiar sound in it : 

Ha, hoo, too, 

Pooska, bramina padala stoo ! 

Antiquity of the Rhymes. 

Where the ancestors of our present crop of young peo- 
ple found these verses is a question that has troubled many 
a wise old head, but there seems to be little doubt that the 
verses which our boys use for play served a far more 
serious purpose for our ancestors. It is claimed that in 
ancient Britain, when the wild-eyed Druid priests ruled the 
people, and built funny sorts of play-houses with stones set 
up on end, the priests used to sacrifice human beings in 
their mummeries, and in 

Ena, mena, mina, mite, 
Pasca, laura, bona, bite. 
Eggs, butter, cheese, bread, 
Stick, stack, stone, dead ! 

the first two lines are the identical words the old priest 
sang when the victims who had been fattened on " eggs, 
butter, cheese, and bread," were being killed with " sticks, 

ji stacks, and stones." 

jj Possibly some, if not all, of these jingles were originally 

incantations used by the old humbugs who pretended to 
practise magic, often fooling themselves as well as the poor, 
ignorant, awe-stricken, common people by their rites. 
" One-ry, two-ry, ickery, Ann " is thought to be a gypsy 
magic spell. There is small doubt that you, my readers, 
are all unconsciously making fun of your poor, ignorant, 
old forefathers every time you count out to find who is " It." 
And " It " — what did that mean ? Well, we will not 



Counting Out Rhymes 263 

make too many guesses into the mysterious rites that the 
people once thought to be religion ; but we will let " It " 
go, as the boys understand it to be — the most undesirable 
part of the game that, is to be played; and, whether the 
reader is " It " in the boyish game of *' I spy," or in 
the great game of life, the author feels certain that his 
reader will play his part with that cheerful, manly spirit 
that makes a good play-fellow and a desirable citizen. 

George Washington was " It " for the Revolution. 
Abraham Lincoln and General Grant played " It " in the 
last war ; and in both cases it was the nation that counted 
out to the end that all should " go free." 




Fig. 242. — The American Boy's Wooden Swimming Master. Fig. 243 Shows the 

Bow-line-knot. 



CHAPTER XXIII 



IN THE WATER 



How to Swim — A Wooden •' Swimming Master " — Suspension Bridge, 
Chump's Raft, and Tub Races. 

Every boy's book, with the exception of the " American 
Boy's Handy Book," has a chapter telling boys how to 
learn to swim. This was left out of the " Handy Book " 
because the author believed no boy could learn to propel 
himself in the water while sitting in the house reading 
about it. Such a chapter appeared to him very much like 
the old bit of advice to " hang your clothes on a hickory 
limb, but don't go near the water." 

Still there are many practical hints that will not be 



In the Water 265 



amiss to those who are already good swimmers, and 
who are good-natured enough to devote some of their 
time to their more backward or less fortunate companions. 
There are thousands and thousands of boys in this vast 
country who have never seen big rivers, like the Ohio and 
Mississippi, or beheld the broad ocean, with its white 
sandy beach and small quiet bays, or the great blue lakes, 
and whose only chance to swim is in the deep holes of some 
small stream, a mill-pond, or small lake. 

Beginners are just as liable to meet with serious acci- 
dents in such places as in the large rivers or the salt sea. 
For it must be remembered it is not the width of the water, 
but its depth, that troubles a beginner. Fig. 242 shows a 
simple contrivance that will make it absolutely safe for any 
lad who cannot swim to go " over his head," as the boys call 
it when they enter deep water. 

It will require work to make one of these swimming 
masters ; but the machine, of any use, is yet to be invented 
that does not need work to build, and there is nothing in 
the construction of a " swimming master " that a crowd of 
boys could not accomplish in a few hours. 

How to Build a Swimming Master. 

Dig a hole about three feet deep on the brink of the 
swimming pool. Plant in this a good stout post, six or 
seven feet long, and see that the earth is packed solidly 
around the post, so that it will stand firm and immovable. 
This is called the " ducking post " (Fig. 244). Next select 
a long pole for the sweep, the length of which will depend 
upon the extent of the swimming hole. With an auger* 

* In case you have no auger get a piece of iron rod of some sort, heat it red 
hot, and burn the holes, or use a chisel and cut square holes. 



266 



Summer 



bore a hole in the top of the post and a trifle larger one 
through the sweep, at such a distance from the butt, or 
big end, of the latter, as will allow the small end to reach 

well out over the deep water (Fig. 
\ 245). 

The principle of this machine 
is a very old one : it is the model 
of a well-sweep of ancient times. 
Even to-day a few such sweeps 
may be seen in old-fashioned 
farm-yards. 

Make a good long hickory or 
ash peg with a groove in the end 
that enters the stump. The peg 
must be large enough to fit tightly 
in the post. Pour some water in 
the post-hole and drive the peg 
home. The groove will allow the 
water to escape and the water will make the wood swell and 
hold the peg tightly in place. 

To the end of the sweep lash a good strong rope, start- 
ing with a clove hitch (see Index) and binding the rope 
around the sweep. In this case, however, you allow one 
end to hang down in place of cutting it off. Place the 
sweep on the ducking post so that the ash peg holds it in 
place. At the butt end of the sweep nail some boards in 
the form of a rude box (Fig. 242). 



SECT/ONoy^-j^'/^ 




Fig, 



244. — Post for the Wooden 
Swimming Master. 




Fig. 245. — Sweep for Wooden Swimming Master. 



In the IVater i(f] 



At this point let 

One of the Good Swimmers 

strip and swim out to the hanging end of the rope, fasten it 
into a loop with a bowline knot which will not slip (see 
Fig. 230). Before drawing the knot tight he should slip 
the loop over his head and under his arms, making the rope 
of sufficient length for the weight of his body suspended in 
the water to lift the butt of the sweep a couple of feet clear 
of the ground. 

While the swimmer occupies this position the other 
boys must load up the box at the end of the sweep with 
stones or any heavy material they may have, until the 
weight of the swimmer and the weight of stones make an 
even balance. 

Ready for the Novice. 

When this is done and all the good swimmers have 
tested it, the small end of the sweep may be swung around 
and the novice may slip the noose over his head and under 
his arms and bravely push out into deep water. Here he 
can flounder and splash after the manner of all beginners 
until he is tired, or until he learns the trick of propelling 
himself through the water and of keeping his head above it. 

Should the novice be stricken with a panic and try to 
climb the rope, the weight of his body when lifted out of 
the water will bring the end of the pole down and he will 
still have only his head above water. But should he be one 
of the rattle-brained boys, a boy whose mind is like a badly 
trained dog that refuses to obey its master in times of emer- 
gency, he must not be allowed to work himself into a state 
of panic, for he can drown even while the "swimming mas- 
ter's " rope is around him. Such a lad needs watching, but 



268 Sttmmer 

most of all he needs just this sort of training to give him 
command over himself. 

In Case of Fright. 

When a beginner is seized with fright one of his com- 
rades must rest his weight on the stone box and slowly swing 
the novice in shore and allow him to regain his composure 
at leisure. 

Never try to frighten a timid boy ; it is not only cruel, 
but you may spoil the " makings " of a good fellow. Some 
of the bravest soldiers the world ever knew were badly 
frightened at their first battle, and, no doubt, many an ex- 
pert swimmer and noted life-saver was seized with terror 
when first he found himself in deep water. A boy who, 
because he knows how to swim himself, will try to duck or 
terrify a beginner has no business to associate with good 
fellows and should be avoided by them. 

Hints for ttie Beginner. 

It is best not to try to swim immediately on swinging 
out into the deep water. Allow your legs to sink if they 
will and your arms to hang idly down — the rope will keep 
your head above water. In this pose loll around awhile 
until you become accustomed to your surroundings and 
gain confidence in the sturdy wooden " swimming master" 
who holds you. This is of vital importance, for without 
confidence in your ability to keep your head above water 
you can never learn to szvim. Even if you put in two or 
three days in floating around it will not be time lost, and 
when you begin to experiment with kicking and striking 
out with your hands and arms you will learn the more 
readily because you are not retarded by the fear that per- 
haps your head may go under water for a moment. What 



/;/ the Water 



269 



if it does? You will come up smiling in place of gasping or 
shouting for help. 

The Frog 

is a good swimming teacher, but he has the advantage of us 
in possessing a pointed head, with bulging eyes on top, so 
that it is not neces- 
sary for him to throw 
his head back to see. 
And, as for breath- 
ing, one breath every 
ten minutes answers 
his purpose. The frog 
does not use his arms 
in swimming, as is 
commonly supposed ; fig. 247. 
he holds them close 
to his sides, and swims 



Fig. 246. 



Fig. 




by kicking his long 
legs and dispropor- 
tionately long feet. 

If you watch a frog 
swimming you will 
see that he draws his 
knees up on each side 
of him, as shown in 
Fig. 246, and then 
pushes them back as 
if he were pushing 
something away from 
him (Fig. 247). And, 
indeed, that is just 
what he is doing, for he is pushing the water back. At the 
end of the stroke his legs are straight and close together, 



The Beginning and End of a Kick. 



270 



Summer 



his toes pointed down and heels up (Fig. 248). In this 
position he shoots a long distance through the water be- 
fore he again draws up his legs for another stroke. 



Kicking. 

After you have gained confidence in your support, 
practise the frog's kick. Never mind your arms ; it is 
possible to swim without them, as the frog has shown us. 
Do not draw your knees up under you, but spread your 
legs apart like a dancing-jack (Fig. 249) 
with your knees on each side. This, as 
has been shown, is the bull-frog's style. He 
knows his business and will take no points 
from us, though we may with advantage 
take some from him. In kicking, strike 
the soles of your feet against the water 
as you would against the foot-board, were 
you lying face downward on your bed, 
and, like the frog, push the water from 
you. Finish the kick with the feet wide 
apart, then bring your legs close together, 
extending them in a straight line. At this 
point your toes must be turned down and your heels raised 
as far as possible, to lessen the resistance as you glide 
through the water. And glide you will, if the peg in 
the ducking-post is well greased and the kick properly 
made. 

Do not be in a hurry to make the next kick. There is 
time enough to do that when the impulse forward that the 
first kick gave is dying out. Many old swimmers make 
the mistake of hurrying their kick and thus losing speed 
while making double the exertion necessary. 




Fig. 249. — Dancing- 
jack Showing the 
Position of Legs 
for Swimming. 



In the JVater 271 



The Breast Stroke. 

Gus Sundstrotn, the champion long-distance swimmer 
and swimming master at the New York Athletic Club, in an 
article published ten years ago in the Harper' s Young People, 
states that " this is' the stroke that frogs use and always 
have used." Well, we will go to Gus to learn to swim, for 
he is a past grand master of the art. But we prefer to 
watch a frog ourselves, and by so doing we shall see that 
he does not use his little short arms, or his funny hands, 
with no web between the fingers. As already stated, he 
depends entirely upon his long muscular legs and big 
webbed feet to propel him through the water. So, in place 
of going to Mr. Frog for the breast stroke, we prefer to go 
to Gus, for he has no webbed feet and does depend upon 
his hands and arms to help propel himself. 

He says that when you strike out you must "hold your 
fingers close together." Perhaps one of the principal uses 
of man's hands in the water is keeping his head up, so that 
he may breathe, and that is why he makes the stroke a 
little downward, for by pressing on the water he lifts his 
head. 

How to Make the Breast Stroke. 

Bring your hands together under your chin with the 
palms down, fingers straight, close together, and pointing 
in the direction you are about to move. Next shove the 
two hands straight out in front of you, keeping your 
thumbs touching. As your hands are pushed forward kick 
backward with your legs, as previously described. When 
the knees are straight the legs will be spread wide apart 
(see dotted lines above Fig. 248). Bring them together 
and, if you time this properly, your position will now be 
that of an arrow, the point being your extended hands. 



272 



Smnnier 



In this pose you will shoot through the water some dis- 
tance, and not until your speed begins to slacken per- 
ceptibly must you sweep your hands to the right and to 
the left with the palms slightly hollowed, and bearing down 
hard enough to force the head sufficiently above the water 
for you to breathe through your nose without taking in 
water. When your stroke is finished, bring the hands back 
to the same po- 
sition they first 
occupied under 

tVip rKin '?\G. 250. — End of Sweep (Wooden Swim- 

Luc (.uiii.^ ming Master), Grape Vine Cable. 

Practise this 
stroke without the kick, if the latter bothers 
you, until you learn it. Then practise the two 
together, and when you succeed in doing this 
you will be surprised to find that you can get 
along better without the aid of the old wooden 
"swimming master" than with it. 

Do not abandon your friendly rope, how- 
ever, until you have gone back and forth in the 
semicircle it describes a sufficient number of times to as- 
sure yourself that its support is no longer needed. 

The Grape-Vine Cable. 

If it should so happen that the rope is the most difficult 
thing to procure, a wild grape-vine will answer your pur- 
pose, and it may be nailed securely to the end of the sweep 
as in Fig. 250, and the loop made by lashing the end to the 
vine, as shown in Fig. 250. 

The Suspension Bridge. 

Make two pairs of shears by binding two stout poles 
together, as shown in Fig. 251, for each pair. Set the shears 




In the Water 



"^IZ 



on each bank, and use a good 
strong rope or wild grape- 
vine for a cable. Fasten the 
cables to a tree, stump, or 
some other unyielding object 
on each bank. If it is a rope, 
fasten with a lark's head, as 
shown in Fig. 252. If you 
use grape-vine, wrap once 
around the tree and nail it 
there. Erect the shears un- 
der it on each bank, and the 
suspension bridge will be 
found firm and strong. 

Short lines, which will 
reach the water, must be fas- 




FlG. 



251. — Shears for Suspension Bridge 
for Swimming Pool. 




^?iifciwlW^ ^^^^'^^^'SS " "^ ^ 



Fig. 252. — Diagram Showing the Suspension Bridge and Cross Section of Ground 

and Water. 



274 



Summer 



tened at brief intervals to the cable, before it is swung across 
the stream ; little wooden handles tied to the ends of the lines 
will add to the security of the bather. With this contriv- 
ance beginners may enjoy themselves even in deep water, 
crossing and recrossing the hole with no danger, for so 
long as the bather holds one of these handles he is sup- 
ported by the cable above, and by kicking and paddling he 
can reach another life-line before he lets go the last. An- 
other aid to the novice, and a very useful thing to the 
swimmers, when they are sky-larking in the water, is 

The Chump's Raft. 

Its construction is simple. Four boards, each about six 
feet long, are nailed together in the form of a square, with 




Fig. 253.— The Chump's Raft. 



the ends of the boards protruding; like the figure drawn 
upon a school-boy's slate for the game of "Tit, tat, toe." 

All nail-points must be knocked off and the heads ham- 
mered home, to prevent serious scratches and wounds on 



/;/ the IVater 



275 



the bather's body when he clambers over the raft or slips 
off in an attempt to do so. 

Beginners get in the middle hole, and there, with a sup- 
port within reach all around them, they can venture with 
comparative safety in deep water. 




Fig. 254. — A Beginner in a Chump's Raft. 



Water Bladder. 

While inflated bladders can and are often used by boys 
learning to swim, in the game of Water Bladder they are 
used for an entirely different purpose. Water Bladder is a 
game, and all the players must be perfectly at home in the 
water, because the "field" is all "overhead." In some deep 
pool or hole erect two goals after the manner of those used 
in football. But in this game have the cross rods only a 
foot or two above the water. 



276 Stimmer 

Divdde the party into two sides and take your positions 
as in an old-fashioned game of football. At the word 
" Ready," the umpire, who is on the shore or at some con- 
venient point, throws an inflated bladder betAveen the oppos- 
ing sides. The object of the players is to send the bladder 
over the enemy's goal, and the rules are very simple. It is 
foul to interfere with an opponent by putting your hands on 
him, it is foul to use more than one hand in handling the 
bladder, but you may swim in front of a man, dive under 
him, in fact, " interfere " in every wa}^ you can. Each goal 
counts one point, and five points make a game. 

A similar game is played in the swimming tanks of the 
big athletic clubs in New York, and is called Water Polo. 
In place of an inflated bladder these full-grown boys use 
an india-rubber ball. 

Tub Races. 

One might suppose that this would come under the 
head of boating, but one would be mistaken, for it prop- 
erly belongs to swimming, as any one who has witnessed 
or taken part in such a race will tell you. 

Each contestant supplies himself with an ordinary wash- 
tub. At the word " Go ! " he places it in the water, climbs in 
as best he can, and paddles with his hands for the taw line. 

In most of the races the writer has taken part in the 
winner was the most deliberate and slowest moving fellow 
of the lot. He took more time to get into his tub, took 
more time to balance himself properly, but at last, when 
more than half the other tubs were upside down and their 
late occupants floundering in the water, this methodical, 
cool-headed racer, with his legs hanging in the water, the 
tub listed slightly forward, began with deliberation to pad- 
dle with his hands ; and usually, before he reached the taw 



In the Water 



277 



line he had the satisfaction of knowing that he was the only 
racer who still occupied a tub. 

Sometimes another would pursue the same tactics. 
Then the fun was at the finish, for here both would risk 
sinking in their efforts to come in ahead. There is possibly 
no water sport more enjoyable to all concerned and pro- 
voking more laughter and excitement than a well-con- 
ducted tub race. 

Springing Boards. 

Upon all those rivers where the big lumber rafts come 
down and are moored to the banks, the boys not only have 




Fig. 255. — Springing Board. 

excellent floats to swim from, but the material is always at 
hand for a good springing board, from which they can try 
any circus trick that suits their fancy. For when they fail 
the worst that can happen is the smart slap of the water as 
they strike it on their backs or sides, and the hearty laugh 
of the lookers-on. 

There are few better devices for developing and at the 
same time keeping supple the growing muscles of a boy 
than a good springing board. At the sea-shore, at boat- 



278 Stmimer 

club houses and places of resort they are supplied by the 
proprietors of the clubs and hotels, and are made by carpen- 
ters. But when you are inland and in the country, that is 
the very time you long for one and the very time there are 
none on hand. All you need to make a springing board is 
a good elastic plank, and that is seldom a difficult thing to 
borrow or buy. 

How to Set up a Springing Board. 

Place the plank on the edge of your swimming pool, 
and under it a box, log, stone, or any other object strong 
enough for a rest. Now if two or three lads will stand on 
the shore end, another boy can spring from the other end 
into the water. This is a very rude plan, but often the 
time is too limited to waste in work, and all are desirous 
of a swim, and a rude springing board is better than none. 
When you have time at your disposal you may fasten the 
shore end securely to a board and nail the board fast 
to a log, beam, or other like object, or drive a number of 
stakes deeply into the ground with their heads flush with 
the earth and nail the board to the heads of the stakes. 
(See Fig. 255.) 

Back Somersaults. 

In attempting a back somersault from a springing board 
there is always danger of coming down in the exact spot 
you spring from, and striking the board, with more or less 
serious results. To avoid this push yourself away with 
your feet as you leave the board and there will be no 
danger. 

Never enter the water when you feel exhausted or 
shortly after eating a meal. You will derive no pleasure 
from it and it is injurious. 



CHAPTER XXIV 
GAMES OF TAG 

Origin of this Sport— King's X — Last Tag — Iron Tag— Cross Tag— Old 
Bloody Tom— Black Man— Prisoner's Base and Other Variations. 

When you observe one kitten hiding behind a tree or 
other object, and another creeping cautiously around in 
search of its playmate, you see the original and primitive 
game of " I Spy " as it was played long before there were 
any boys to enjoy the game. Some ancestors of our kit- 
tens invented " I Spy," some ancestors of our puppies 
invented " Tag," and some common ancestors of four-legged 
animals invented " Racing." All that the boys have done 
is to take these games as played by young quadrupeds and 
make fixed rules to govern them ; and from these three 
simple sports almost all of the out-door games that boys 
play have been evolved. 

Home. 

There must be a place of refuge for every one. The 
wild beasts have their dens in the heart of the jungle, 
where they can retire in safety ; wild men have their secret 
hiding-places in the mountains or forests; the old pirates 
had their islands, surrounded by shoals and rocks that 
would pierce the hull of any vessel attempting to land 
without a pilot; and civilized man has his home, which is 
sacred from the invasion of friend or foe, a place to which 
he need admit no man. 



28o 



Summer 



In all games there must be some such spot where the 
players are safe for the time, where neither the Wolf with 



^or'^*^ 




BATTUE. 




Fig. 256. — A Typical Plan of Various Games of Tag. 

a Brown Ear, the Woolly Wolly Wolf, The Black Man, 
Old Bloody Tom, or "It" can catch him. This place is 
called goal, taw, den, base, or home. 



Games of Tag 



281 



King's X. 

Away back in those times that are so dry to study about 
in our school histories and so intensely interesting to read 
of in " Ivanhoe," " The Hunchback of Notre Dame," and 
" The Black Arrow," King's X had 
its origin. 

Everything was queer in those 
days. Men like Robin Hood really 
lived outside of the pages of a story- 
book. Foot-ball, golf, and other 
popular games were forbidden be- 
cause they might take time that 
otherwise would be devoted to 
archery, and the law in England 
compelled small boys to practise 
a certain number of hours each 
year with the long bow. 

Men on the streets dressed like 
the clowns in Barnum's circus, and 
blacksmiths did a tailoring busi- 
ness ; for gentlemen wore iron 
clothes and heavy iron pots for 
hats, even under a broiling hot 
summer's sun, because it was the 
style. The horses these iron-clothed men rode were re- 
splendent in gorgeous crazy-quilt coverings which reached 
to their heels. 

It is strange how dull a historian can make these inter- 
esting old times, when farmers who worked in the fields 
wore only a shirt to cover their nakedness, and barefooted 
priests with shaved heads trod the highways ; when there 




Fig. 257. — King's X. 



282 Summer 

were no railroads, no steam-engines, and no telegraphs, 
kerosene lamps, gas, or electric lights. 

It was then that everybody, from the beggar to the king, 
ate with his fingers ; but nobody smoked, because they had 
no tobacco. Without tobacco they got along very well, 
but how did they manage to make a meal without sugar, 
tea, coffee, potatoes, corn, or turkeys ? The streets were 
never cleaned, watered, or lighted, and every house of any 
pretensions was a fort and the people all knew how to fight. 
There was among them a dim idea of fair play, and con- 
scious of the fact that the courts were seldom just, they 
provided sanctuaries or places of refuge where the poor 
persecuted people might fly and be safe from the law and 
their neighbors. These sanctuaries were sometimes in the 
monasteries or churches, and sometimes in the King's 
house. 

All that remains of this quaint old custom of our funny 
old ancestors is preserved by the boys in their games, and 
they call it " King's Cross," " King's X," or " King's Ex- 
cuse," and cross their first and second fingers to proclaim a 
truce. Here we have a combination of the king and the 
church that insures the safety of the player. 

Notwithstanding the fact that out-door games are largely 
provided with retreats in the form of goals, homes, taws, or 
dens, it is often convenient to have some other safeguard 
to protect the player from " It ; " this is supplied by the 
crossed fingers and the cry of '* King's Ex ! " As long as 
the boy giving this cry keeps his fingers crossed he is safe, 
for to " It," the sign of the cross is sacred. 

King's X is used only in times of accident or emergen- 
cy, for instance when a player's shoelace becomes untied, 
or when he is disputing some point in the game. Then 
he cries " King's Ex until I fasten my shoestring ! " or 



Games of Tag 283 



" King's Ex until we settle this," and the truce lasts until 
the shoestring is tied or the disputed point decided. Often 
boys of weak character will give the cry and cross their 
fingers to save themselves from being caught. This is 
called " the baby act," to show the contempt with which all 
real manly boys hold a comrade who will seek safety under 
the cross because his legs are lazy. 

Last Tag. 

As a crowd of boys are coming out of school one of 
their numbe'r slaps a friend on the back and cries " Last 
tag ! " No boy with any spirit will allow this to pass un- 
noticed, for that would be against the ethics of a school- 
boy. Immediately upon hearing the words " Last tag " the 
boy struck darts for his nearest playmate and slaps or 
touches him, crying " Last tag ! " and so the game goes on 
until the boys are tired. 

The only rules of the game are these : A touch is a 
tag and the boy touched last is " It " until he tags some one 
else ; and he cannot tag the boy who has just tagged him. 

Iron Tag, Wood Tag, Stone Tag, and Cross Tag. 

All of these games are alike in their simple rules and un- 
like only in their goals or homes. In Iron Tag no player 
can be caught so long as he has a hand or foot touching 
iron ; in Wood and Stone Tag it is the touching of wood 
or stone with hand or foot that brings safety from " It." 
In other respects the games are like the first described 
games of tag. 

Cross Tag. 

This game is usually played on the ice by skaters, but 
it is also played during the summer on the streets or in the 
fields. " It " selects a victim and starts after him, but 



284 



Sttmmer 



whenever another player crosses between " It " and the 
boy he is after, "It" chases the boy wJio crosses his path 
and no other unless another boy crosses out the second. 




Fig. 258. — Cross Tag. Dotted lines show where a boy has crossed out the lad " It" 

is after. 

Then " It " again changes his pursuit. In this manner the 
boys continue to cross each other out until " It" succeeds 
in tagging one before a playmate can cross between him 
and his prey. 

Korungattam or Monkey Tag. 

" It " is a hunter who, we may suppose, wishes to supply 
some hand-organ men with monkeys. At any rate he is 
a monkey hunter, and all the other players are monkeys. 
There must be as many trees, stones, or bases of some kind 



Games of Tag 285 

as there are monkeys, and the boys to act their part must 
keep in constant motion, running from base to base as in 
the game of Pussy Wants a Corner, while the hunter uses 
his best endeavors to catch them between their bases. 

The bases are supposed to represent the branches of 
trees and are called branches. No two monkeys can oc- 
cupy the same branch, and if any monkey stands still for an 
instant and the hunter catches him while he is not moving, 
that monkey is " It." The monkeys endeavor by their con- 
stant chatter to disconcert the hunter and tantalize him 
with the oft-repeated rhyme of : 

" Monkey, monkey, bottle of beer, 
You can't catch a monkey here ! " 

Korungattam is said to be the East Indian name for 
this game, which is played by the boys in India in the wide- 
spreading branches of some forest tree, each little Indian 
occupying a branch of the tree. Like the little animals they 
are supposed to represent, they jump from branch to branch 
while " It," the hunter, tries to catch them. A circle is 
drawn around the trunk of the tree and all the monkeys try 
to drop to the ground inside that circle. Any one putting 
a foot outside the ring is " dead," any one ceasing to move 
is dead, any one touched by the hunter while in the act of 
climbing or jumping from limb to limb is dead, and the 
game ceases when all are dead. The first monkey killed is 
" It," or the hunter for the next game. 

Old Bloody Tom, Black Tom, or "Pull Away!" 

What the original meaning of this last cry was, is lost in 
the mist that veils so many of the expressions of boys. Old 
Bloody Tom and Black Tom are probably names for an 
ogre, while " It," no doubt, also represents one of these 



286 Sztmmer 

monsters. The game, under any of its names, is a simple 
one. " It" stands in the middle of the street while the 
other players are gathered on one of the sidewalks which 
form the two homes. '*It" cries: "Pull awa}^ once! Pull 
away twice ! Pull away three times ! " 

At the conclusion of the last cry the other players make 
a rush for the opposite sidewalk, while " It " tries to tag 
them. Each boy tagged joins " It " and helps him tag 
the others until all are caught. The first player caught is 
"It" for the next game. No boy Can be tagged after he 
has crossed the home curbstone or while he touches it with 
hand or foot, unless all the players are on the same side 
of the street. In this case " It " may tag them while on 
home-grounds. (See Fig. 256.) 

In some places " It " cries : 

" One for the money, 
Two for the show, 
Three to make ready, 
And four for to go ! " 

in place of " Pull away," but the game is the same, and is 
in no respect different from the following game of " Black 
Man," except in the words used to set the boys running. 

"What Are You Doing in My Vineyard?" or Black Man. 

" What are you doing in my vineyard ? " 
" Stealing grapes ! " 

" What will you do when the black man comes ? " 

" Rush right through like we always do ! " 

This is the whole of the game of the Black Man. Yet I 

have had as much fun playing this simple game as any 

sport of my boyhood that I can recall. We always played 

it at dusk, and Black Man on one side of the street calls out 



Games of Tag 287 



the first question. The boys upon the opposite side give the 
answer as above ; then the Black Man threateningly asks 
what the boys will do when he comes, and the boys bravely 
respond with the boast that they will " rush right through 
like they always do," which, strictly speaking, is not the 
truth, because it often happens that one of the vineyard 
robbers is caught half way by the Black Man, and is then 
compelled to give up his pilfering and become a Black 
Man himself and help guard the vineyard. (See Fig. 
256.) 

So the game goes on until all are Black Men. Then the 
boy first caught is " It" for the next game. The rules of the 
game are simple. The two curbs form the home lines and 
the sidewalk is home, or two lines are drawn for home 
lines. If a boy is on this goal, that is, if his feet are on the 
home side of the curb or line, the Black Man cannot touch 
him, but between the goals if the Black Man catches him, 
the boy caught joins this vineyard guardian in chasing his 
late comrades. (See Fig. 256.) 

The simplicity of this last game you will find upon trial 
in no way detracts from its enjoyment, but on the contrary 
adds zest to the sport, as the mind being unencumbered 
with tiresome rules is free to devote its whole attention to 
the swiftness of the heels. 

Prisoner's Base. 

War is the probable origin of this sport, and originally 
the two sides faced each other, but it was found that while 
in real war the armies oppose each other in two lines of 
battle, this is not necessary for the game, it being much 
easier to have only one line occupied by both sides. 

Usually in town the curbstone forms the boundary and 
the sidewalk is home. The boys choose up for side and 



288 Summer 

then select two trees diagonally opposite home for the 
prison-pens, called the bases, one for each army. 

The game begins as the battles did of old by the leader 
of one army stepping out in the field and daring the other 
captain to meet him. Any player of one army can tag any 
one of his opponents who has left home before he did, and 
all players tagged must go to the prison-pen of their cap- 
tors and remain there until they are released or until the 
game is finished. 

A prisoner can only be released by one of his own side 
evading the other soldiers, reaching the base and touching 
the prisoner before a foe tags the lad attempting the rescue 
of the prisoner. This done neither can be molested on their 
way back home, or until they again leave the curb line. 

The game ends when all of one side have been made 
prisoners. 

The Den of Wild Beasts — A Jungle Game. 

There is no " It " in this game or it might be said that 
all are " It." 

Each player represents some wild and ferocious animal, 
and each one chooses a convenient tree, post, or stone for 
his particular den. All then make a terrible noise, the lion 
roars, the panther screams, and the wolf howls as a signal 
for the game to commence. 

The most venturesome and alert lad leaves his den. 
Keeping a close watch upon his neighbors he dances around 
to entice them from their dens and soon succeeds in draw- 
ing a crowd to the centre of the field. 

The fun then begins. No animal can be captured while 
at its own den, and no animal can be captured while bring- 
ing home a captive. Any animal which leaves its den last 
may capture any one of those already in the field. If the 



Games of Tag 289 



lion is away from his den and the tiger is not, the tiger may 
leave his den and give chase to the lion, and if the wolf 
from his den sees them, he may give chase to one or both. 
But if the lion in the meantime touches his own den he 
may start out in pursuit of both tiger and wolf. 

It often happens that all the animals are in the field at 
the same time. Captures are made by tags or touches with 
the hand. The animal tagged deserts his former den and 
joins with his captor in pursuit of the others. Often one 
den will contain a lot of animals, and a few moments later it 
will be cleaned out by the skill and dexterity of some wolf, 
panther, or lynx. The game ends only when all the ani- 
mals are collected in one den and there are none left to 
capture. 

Dixie's Land, or Yank and Johnny Reb. 

This is a relic of the last war, and evidently the grand- 
son of the old game of Tom Tiddler's Land, which, 
during the four years of bloodshed that visited this 
country, was modified by the boys to fit the occasion. Of 
course it was a simple matter to change Mr. Thomas Tid- 
dler's Land into Dixie's Land. That change once made, 
the popular Southern song supplied the rest of the verse. 

But as the game represents both the Federal and Con- 
federate sides, there must be taunts for each, more or less 
appropriate to the occasion. The South supplied one verse, 
the North supplied another, both taken from old war-time 
songs, which are now forgotten by most of those who sang 
them, and, with perhaps the exception of the few lines that 
are used in the boy's game, are unknown to the younger 
generation. 

As in Tom Tiddler's Land a section of the playground 
is marked off to represent the land, and after counting out 
19 



290 Summer 

to see who shall be " It " or Johnny Reb, Johnny takes his 
place on his land, and shouts : 

" On Dixie's Land I'll take my stand, 
I'll live and die on Dixie's Land ! " 

This is a signal for hostilities, and all the little " Feds " 
commence to invade the South. Of course they use what 
taunts they can to excite Johnny Reb, as 

" Eighteen hundred and sixty-one, 
That's the time the war begun. 
Eighteen hundred and sixty-three, 
Abe Lincoln set the niggers free ! 
Oh, Johnny Reb, you can't catch me." 

Now if Johnny Reb can catch and hold any " Fed " 
while on Dixie's Land long enough to repeat 

" Any, taney, tother, ted. 
Now I've caught you little Fed ! " 

that " Fed " must change his blue coat for a gray one, that 
is, join Johnny Reb in his efforts to capture more Union 
soldiers. And so the game goes on until all are caught, 
with mutual bantering and jingles, historical and nonsensi- 
cal. The following comes under the latter heading : 

" Skeedaddle, vamose, 
Counterband goose, 
Mason and Dixon's line, 
I'll catch you this time! " 

To which they reply : 

" Jeff wore hoops ! Jeff wore a dress ! 
Jeff has no niggers now, 
Y E S ! " 



And, 



I'm on Dixie's Land, 
Dixie's not home. 
Dixie's got a sore foot, 
And he cannot roam ! " 



Games of Tag 291 



Johnny, nothing daunted at the personal nature of the 
rhymes, sings out : 

" Mud sills, Mud sills, nigger stealers ; 
Blue back. Blue back, 
Barnican Peelers ! " 

or, 

" If you want to see Yankees just tremble with fear, 
Tell them Johnny Reb has got in their rear. 
Hooray ! Hooray ! for the people they dread ! 
Hooray for Jeff Davis and the Red, white, and red ! " 

After the Johnnies capture all the players a new game 
begins, and the first one caught in the last game is " It " for 
the next. 

I felt some hesitancy about incorporating this game 
among the boys' sports. For, at first thought, it appeared 
likely to keep the old sectional feeling alive. But, on sec- 
ond thoughts, I believe it has quite the contrary effect, for 
whoever plays must sooner or later take both sides, and I 
also notice that the boys find no deeper significance in the 
game than in any other hereditary sport, and that to most 
of them there is no more meaning in the verses than in the 
old familiar button-count : 

" A rich man, 
A poor man, 
A beggar man, 
A thief. 
A doctor, 
A lawyer, 
A merchant, 
A chief!" 

So let them play their game of Johnny Rebs and Little 
Feds, and jumble it up with their queer folk-lore for future 
wise men to try and decipher and guess its source. 



292 Summer 

Tommy Tiddler's Land. 

Tommy Tiddler represents a miserly old dwarf, the 
owner of some mineral property. The dwarf attacks all 
trespassers on his domain. Tommy's land must have been 
very rich in mineral deposits, for the boys cry : 

" I'm on Tom Tiddler's ground 
Picking up gold and silver." 

Sometimes Tommy is the King. Then the boys say : 

" I'm on the King's land 
Stealing his gold and silver." 

But whether it is Tommy Tiddler's, the King's, Van 
Dieman's, or the Ogre's land, there seems always to be 
plenty of gold and silver. On Dixie's Land, however, if it 
is anything that they are stealing, it is colored people. 

Cow-boys, or Cattle Rustling. 

This game descends to us through our Highlander 
and Lowlander ancestry, and originally represented the 
struggle between these ancient people over the possession 
of cattle which had been stolen and restolen so many times 
that no court could have decided who had a just right to 
them. Indeed, no court was necessary, for the old-fash- 
ioned, bare-legged cattle thieves decided the question in a 
manner that was always perfectly satisfactory to themselves 
when they zvon^ and more cannot be said of a modern court 
decision. 

It is a slander on the American cow-boy to call this 
game after him, for the cow-boy is not a cattle thief, though 
he may sometimes work for one. On the whole, cattle 
rustling is a perfectly proper name, and the one that should 
be adopted hereafter in place of cow-boy. 



Games of Tag 293 



Choose up for sides in the usual manner, and after the 
sides are made up let each player provide himself with a 
cow; not a real live cow, but some object to represent one, 
such as a stick or a stone. 

If the game is played in the street, as it usually is, the 
sidewalks will represent the ranches of the opposing 
factions, the street will be the battle-ground, and the curb- 
stones the boundaries. Each side must place its cattle in a 
line in its own ranch. 

The object of each player is to guard the cattle on his 
side from the rustlers across the street, and to watch his 
opportunity to "rustle," or capture, a cow from the boys on 
the other side. Any boy found in your ranch or on the 
street may be made prisoner by slapping him on the back 
three times or holding him long enough to repeat " one, 
two, three." Every prisoner captured takes sides with 
his captors, and tries to rob his late friends across the 
street of the very cows he was so carefully guarding be- 
fore he was captured. The game lasts until all the cows, 
or all the cow-boys, or both of one side, are captured by 
the other. 

As a rule, this game is played in the twilight, and there 
are great opportunities for slyly creeping into the enemy's 
ranch, when they are all busy defending a united attack 
from your side, or when they are all busy in a raid on your 
cattle and leave their own unguarded. Your ranch is 
home for your own side, and no one can capture a rustler 
on his own ranch, or on his own side of a line drawn in the 
middle of the street. 

There is plenty of racing, dodging, shouting, and 
laughing ; and, in spite of the low state of morals it 
depicts in our ancestors, as a game Cattle Rustling is a 
thoroughly moral and enjoyable sport. 



294 Summer 



" Lil ! Lil ! Over the Hill ! " 

This is a Yankee form of Tag or Black Man, and is 
played with two homes, or goals, with Lil or " It " in the 
middle. The players line up, half at each goal, with Lil in 
the middle, on the battle-ground. 

At the cry of " Lil ! Lil ! over the hill ! " the players 
make a wild rush, the boys on each side doing their best to 
reach the opposite side without being caught, while " It " 
uses his best endeavors to capture one or more of the 
players before they can gain their goal. To make a 
capture, he must slap his captive three times on the back. 
All captives help Lil to catch their free comrades until 
all are caught. The first one caught is " It " for the next 
game. 

Wolf and Sheep. 

" It " is the wolf, and the boy who is to play this part is 
selected by one of the numerous methods of counting out. 
The sheep select one of their number for a shepherd- 
boy. When this is arranged, the wolf departs to some 
place of concealment, a short distance from the spot 
selected for home, or the fold. 

When the wolf has concealed himself he sets up a most 
dismal howling, and the shepherd-boy, followed by his 
sheep, seeks to discover the wolf, and all the sheep cr^' 
" Bah ! bah ! " As soon as the shepherd-boy discovers the 
wolf he announces the fact with these words, " I spy a 
wolf ! " Immediately he and all his sheep take to their 
heels, closely pursued by the wolf. If the wolf catches or 
tags a sheep or the shepherd before he reaches the fold, the 
one caught is wolf for the next game. 

In Brooklyn the shepherd or any one of the sheep who 



Games of Tag 295 



spies the wolf, cries " Stand ! " At the cry of " stand " all, 
wolf, sheep, and shepherd, remain stationary until the 
shepherd counts ten. As the word " ten " is pronounced 
the spell is broken, and there is a wild race for the fold. 

"What Time do You Dine?" or, The Brown-eared Wolf. 

Take a piece of old newspaper, wrapping-paper, or any 
other similar material, and tear it into as many bits as there 
are players. Mark each piece of paper with a number rep- 
resenting some hour of the day, until there is only one 
piece left. Mark this piece with the same number as any 
one of those already numbered. 

This will make two of a kind ; that is, the papers will 
read one, two, two, three, etc., or one, one, two, three, four, 
etc. There can only be twelve numbers, as there are only 
twelve hours on the clock ; but, if more boys are playing, 
you can make some of the numbers half hours until the 
required number of papers are marked. 

Under one of the twin numbers mark a cross, thus x- 
No one but the lad chosen as marker must see the num- 
bers until they are drawn, and then each player must keep 
his number a secret. 

To draw the numbers the marker places them all in a 
hat, and each boy in turn reaches in the hat without look- 
ing and selects a bit of paper ; the piece of paper left in the 
hat belongs to the marker. The boy who finds that he 
has drawn the paper with a figure and a cross is " It." 

A simpler form of the game is played by omitting the 
duplicate number and counting out to see who shall be 
" It." " It " then retires a short distance while the sheep 
decide among themselves what o'clock they shall each 
represent. 



296 Summer 

" It " announces himself in this way : 

" I eat no meat but woolly sheep, 
My stomach is very good ; 
It's their blood, I think, that I will drmk, 
If caught inside my wood ! " 

With a cry of alarm all the sheep hasten to form them- 
selves in a ring around the wolf, for, if the ring is not 
complete before he finishes his verse, he is allowed, by the 
rules of the game, to catch any boy who is not grasping 
the hands of two other boys, one on each side. Conse- 
quently the end boys of the line hasten to join hands and 
form the circle. 

Now this funny old wolf is hemmed in by his prey, and, 
in spite of his blood-thirsty nature, he is either not allowed 
or is afraid to catch an3'one until a proper signal is given. 
The signal is given in this manner: All the sheep dance 
around the wolf, shouting together this verse : 

" Wolf ! Wolf ! Wolf with a brown ear. 
Tell us what time you will dine 
On one of the sheep gathered here ! " 

Then the wolf shouts out " Two o'clock," " three 
o'clock," or whatever he chooses, and the sheep holding 
the ticket answering to the time given darts out of the ring 
with the wolf after him. The wolf cannot call the same 
number twice. If the sheep can run around the ring three 
times without the Avolf catching him, and regain his place, 
he is safe, and the wolf sings out again : 

" I eat no meat but woolly sheep, 
My stomach is very good ; 
It's their blood, I think, that I will drink, 
If caught inside my wood ! " 



Games of Tag 297 



And the sheep reply, repeating the verse first given. The 
wolf then guesses another hour, and so the game goes on 
until a sheep is caught, when the sheep becomes a wolf and 
the wolf a sheep, and all the boys trade numbers, being 
careful not to allow the brown-eared wolf to hear them. 

In case the wolf guesses the twin number of his own, it 
is unnecessary for him to catch that sheep, for the sheep 
becomes a wolf as soon as his number is mentioned, and 
there are two wolves inside the circle. Happy then is the 
sheep that escapes them when his time is called. 

The Red Ogre. 

The ogre appears in various forms in a majority of the 
children's games, more frequently, perhaps, in the girls' 
and small children's play than in that of the boys ; but even 
in the boys' sport he is to be found. 

It may be that he likes girls and little children best be- 
cause they are more tender, and avoids boys because they 
are tough. Probably it was this same ogre, " Old Raw- 
bones," who invented these lines : 

" What are little girls made of ? 
Sugar and spice and everything nice. 
That's what little girls are made of ! 
What are little boys made of ? 
Snaps and snails and puppy dogs' tails. 
That's what little boys are made of ! " 

If he did I trust he is happy, because these silly lines 
have made more small boys indignant than any others that 
I can recall. But, on the whole, one is led to believe that 
Old Rawbones's ugly face is only a mask that hides a 
laughing countenance, and that his bloody talk is only 
a make-believe to disguise his jovial disposition. Other- 



298 



Summer 



wise, wh}^ should he take part in so many games, and 
always be found on the playground and in the best story- 
books ? 

When the boys have decided who is to be Ogre, the 
latter hides around the corner, and in his deepest voice 
growls out these gory lines : 

" I'm the great Ogre Red ! 
I will eat you when you're dead ! 
I must be fed ! 
Your bones are my bread. 
Come, come, and be bled ! " 

The other players, to show how little they fear the Red 
Ogre, rush by the corner shouting challenges to the 




Fig. 259. — Red Ogre. 

monster, who darts out and usually manages to catch one 
or more of the players. These captives then help him 
catch their playmates in the following manner : 

The players who escaped the Ogre's first rush, retreat 
to their starting-point. The captives then clasp hands and 
shout together : 

" We are the great Ogres Red! 
We'll eat you when you're dead ! 



Games of Tag 299 

We must be fed ! 

Your bones are our bread. 

Come, come, and be bled!" 

Again the players rush by the corner, while the Red 
Ogres try to intercept them, as they string across the 
street with joined hands, and thus the game goes on until 
all are caught. 

In Brooklyn the boys call this game Red Robin, but 
the rules are the same, and the same game possibly has 
twenty names in various parts of the United States. 

The American Game of Three. Fox and Geese Mod- 
ernized. 

An even number of boys are necessary to play this 
game. They decide who shall be " It " and who shall be 
" Three." 

The remaining boys form themselves in a double circle 
or in concentric circles ; that is, one ring of boys is inside 
the other ring of boys, and so arranged that they stand in 
couples. (Fig. 260.) "It "takes his position opposite the 
outer circle, and " Three " takes his position opposite to 
him, also outside the outer ring. 

When ready, all the couples join hands, " Three " taking 
the hand of the boy next to him, and all facing the same 
way. The boys now shout in unison a jingle making fun 
of " Three : " 

" Three, Three ! 
Ric, stick, stee ! 
High ball, low ball, 
Long-legged Three ! " 

This is supposed to anger " Three," and he retaliates 
with a verse of his own. While the boys recite their verse 



300 



Stmimer 




they march around in a 
circle, and " It " stands 
still. When "Three" 
passes " It " he shouts : 

" There stands he, 
High ball, low ball. 
Red-headed he, 
Will never catch me ! " 

The word " me " is the 
signal for the circle to 
come to a stand-still and 
for " It " to dash after 
"Three," who must run 
around, outside the ring, 
at least once, after which, 
if hard pressed, he may 
shout : " Hands right and 
left ! " Then he grasps the 
right hand of the boy near- 
est to him with his right 
hand, and the left hand of 
the next in order with his 
left hand, one hand and 
then the other, right and 
left, as in a square dance. 
(B, Fig, 260.) 

" It " follows close at 
his heels, going any way 
he can and watching for 
"Three" to make a mis- 
take. If " Three " gives 
his right hand when he should have given his left, or 
his left when he should have given his right, and " It " 




A "Vluin Him Tit 4<>ti<. Siul 
B Hands vjgKt antJL UiH'. 
C "ThTue' on lustde. tnakes. 



Fig. 260. — American Game of Three. 




Games of Tag 301 



touches him before the mistake is rectified, then " Three " 
is '' It," and the game begins again. But if "Three" gets 
out of breath he may suddenly stop on the inside of the 
circle next to one of the ring boys. This move puts the 
outside boy of the couple next to which "Three" stands 
outside the circle. (C, Fig. 260.) The outsider then be- 
comes " Three " and " It " must try to catch him. 

In case " Three " is caught while running, the outside 
boy that he stood next to when the game commenced is 
" Three," and " It" takes his place, while the late " Three " 
becomes " It." 

It is a noisy game, furnishing plenty of exercise of 
muscle and ingenuity, and the jingle, as it is changed to 
suit the different players, creates any amount of laughter. 
Sometimes it is " Little dude three," " Freckled-face three," 
" Long-nosed three," " Short-legged three," " Curly-headed 
three," " Pretty boy three ; " and " Three," when he sings his 
verse, retaliates upon poor "It" with some apt or comic 
allusion to this particular boy's peculiarities. " It" always 
stands stock-still until he hears the word " me." 

Bull in the Ring. 

"It" in this game is the most sought-for position, for 
" It" is the bull. After it has been decided who shall be 
the bull, the other boys all join hands in a circle around 
him. The bull then examines the different hands where 
they are clasped together, asking : " What is this lock made 
of?" 

" Brass ! " answer the boys. 

" Well, brass is strong. What is this lock made of ? " he 
again asks of the owners of two other clasped hands. 

" Iron ! " they answer. 

"And this?" 



302 



Siunmer 



" Steel ! " 

" I think I can break steel ; " and making believe to try, 
the bull suddenly turns and breaks his way through the 
circle where it is unguarded and runs with all speed up 
the street with all the players running pell-mell at his heels. 
The boy who catches the bull is bull for next game. 




Fig. 261.— Bull in the Ring. 

It must not be supposed that the bull always succeeds 
in breaking through the ring the first time. Sometimes 
the locks of brass, iron, gold, or even lead are too strong 
for him, and he makes believe examine some other locks, 
while the circle of boys jeer him, and tell him that he can- 
not escape. But sooner or later he breaks through some 
weak point in the ring and scampers away. If the bull is 
a fast runner he often leads the boys a long chase, over the 



Games of Tag 303 

fences and through back-lots of the city ; or, if the ring is 
in the country, through pasture-lots, where real bulls gaze 
in wide-eyed wonder at the scampering boys, through the 
woods, with the rabbits and gray squirrels flying ahead, 
and over the brooks, where the speckled trout hide under 
the banks. Over fences and ditches, with never a stop, the 
bull rushes on until he is at last headed off and caught. 

Then all go back to the playground, and a new ring is 
formed with the victor for a new bull, and new locks of 
brass and iron are forged to keep him in the ring. 



CHAPTER XXV 
I SPY 

With Instructions also How to Play Hunkety and Kick the Wicket. 

When the world was young the little folks played I 
Spy, and the game is still popular, and will be, I venture to 
say, as long as there are young people to play it, even 
though the world becomes old and gray in the meantime. 

And, if there are no children left, the young beasts of 
the forest will play it as they do now. A pair of young 
foxes once owned by the writer never seemed to tire of 
playing I Spy. First one would hide and then the other, 
and great would be the race when the hider was discovered. 
The race generally ended in a rough-and-tumble fight and 
then the game was started afresh. They had no rules 
determining which should be " It " that I could discover, 
nor did " It" count a hundred with his eyes shut to give 
the other a chance to hide as a boy does. Nor was the 
young fox intelligent enough to use the unfair methods of 
counting sometimes employed by boys. For instance, 
when " It " agrees to count one hundred, and the other 
boys are seeking a hiding-place, they are sometimes caught 
unaware when " It " shouts " Ten, ten, double ten, forty-five, 
and fifteen ! " opens his eyes and goes in search of his half- 
hidden playmates. Any hider gaining home before '* It " 
can do so is in free, and generally announces the fact by 
shouting as he runs, " In free ! in free ! " But if " It" spies 



/ spy 305 

a boy, calls his name, and reaches home first, the boy is 
caught. The game goes on until all are in free or caught. 
If "It" fails to catch one, then "It" must be " It" for the 
next game, but if he catches one or more boys, the first one 
caught is " It " for the next game. 

As Played in the Evening. 

As this game is played in the evening, or after dark, it is 
frequently difficult for " It " to distinguish one boy from 
another. This difficulty is often increased by those hiding 
turning their caps and coats inside out or exchanging caps 
and hats, and purposely allowing the disguised heads to 
appear from behind a tree or the front steps of a house. 
When the boy who is " It " sees the head and recognizes 
. the covering, in nine times out of ten he will be deceived, 
and cry out, " I spy Tom Jones ! " when it is really Billy 
Smith with Tom Jones's hat or cap on. In this case both 
Jones and Smith are free. Usually, while this affair is go- 
ing on, several others slip in crying, " In free ! " and " It " 
learns by experience to be more cautious the next time. 
The exchanging of hats and coats or the turning of them 
inside out adds greatly to the difficulty of detection and to 
the interest of the game. 

Freeings. 

If the last hider to come in succeeds in reaching home 
without being caught and cries " Freeings ! " then all go 
out and hide again, and " It " is " It " for another game. 

Hunkety : A Long Island I Spy, with a Wicket. 

After " It " has been chosen by one of the usual methods 
he selects a tree, fence, lamp-post, or the corner of a house 
for his den, home, or goal. First leaning a stick against 



o 



06 



Sitmnier 



home, " It " turns his face to his den, and, covering his 
eyes with his hands, counts five hundred by fives as rapidly 
as possible, while the other boys run and hide. 

At the end of the count he shouts '' Five hundred, com- 




>-^,^'><k.x 







Fig. 262. —Long Island Hunkety. 

ing, ready or not ! " As in ordinary I Sp}^ or Hi Spy as 
the boys term it, " It " searches for the other boys, and 
when he discovers a playmate he rushes home to his den, 
and, placing his hands upon the goal, shouts " One, two, 
three ! " and calls the boy's name that he has spied. If the 



/ spy '^orj 

hider discovered by " It " does not reach home or kick the 
stick over before " It " finishes his sentence the hider is 
caught, and " It " goes out to seek the others, and the game 
goes on. 

" It's" power to move is governed by the stick, for, while 
that is down, he is not allowed to spy any one. Conse- 
quently he guards the stick with great care for fear some 
hider-out may rush in and kick it over. When a hider-out 
succeeds in kicking the stick over without being caught, 
then those who have previously been caught are free, and 
all that are in go out and hide again while " It" is fixing the 
overthrown stick. 

Often one of the players will hide within ten paces of the 
den, and as soon as "It " leaves his goal the boy inside the 
ten-pace limit rushes in, kicks over the wicket, and is free. 
To guard against this last move "It" sometimes shouts 
"Anybody hiding around my den is 'It.'" The boy, if 
there is one, who is hiding within the limit of ten paces is 
now " It," and the former " It" goes out and hides. Fre- 
quently it happens that the last boy out succeeds in knock- 
ing over the stick before " It" can prevent him. This, of 
course, frees all that have been previously caught, and all 
rush out and hide again. 

When at last all the boys are caught or in free a new 
game is started with the first one caught in the last game 
for " It." 

Kick the Wicket. 

This is a game of Flushing, Long Island. The boy who 
is to be "It" is decided upon after the manner in vogue 
with the boys, and the rest take their numbers according 
to the order in which they call them. " I choose number 
one ! " shouts one boy. " Two for me ! " cries another, 
and so it goes until all are numbered. 



3o8 Summer 

Then " It " places the wicket, which is simply a stick, 
against a tree. Three other trees are selected for bases. 
Number One gives the wicket a kick and sends it as far as 
possible and runs for the first base, while " It " hurriedly 
chases the wicket and replaces it with all possible speed. 
As soon as the wicket is in place the runner is supposed to 
be suddenly stricken Avith paralysis, or is enchanted, so that 
he can move neither hand nor foot. If perchance the 
runner is detected by " It " in lifting a toe, he must take 
" It's " place. 

The enchantment can only be broken by Number Two 
kicking the wicket. When Number Two has sent the 
wicket flying he runs for the first base and Number One 
for the second, provided he has reached the first base be- 
fore he became enchanted, and both continue to run the 
bases until the spell is thrown over them by the magic 
wicket being again replaced against the home-tree by " It." 

The object of the players is to run all three bases and 
home again, and the object of " It" is to prevent them from 
moving at all. Often it happens that all the boys are be- 
witched at one time between the first and home base. In 
this case they must endeavor to steal along until one 
reaches home without being detected by " It," in which 
case he kicks the magic wicket, and sets all his comrades 
in motion again. But this is a very difficult feat to per- 
form, because "It" is lynx-eyed and he will if possible keep 
close watch and as soon as he sees a boy move cry, 

" I saw you stir, 
Yes, sir ! 
Don't say nit, 
You're ' It.' " 

Nevertheless it sometimes happens when the boys are 
well scattered that little by little they will steal ahead until 



/ spy 309 

one can reach the wicket and give it a kick, which he is en- 
titled to do if he touches home base before being detected 
by " It." 

In Brooklyn, when all the players are enchanted be- 
tween bases, " It" is compelled to kick the wicket himself. 
This he does reluctantly, making many false passes first in 
order to deceive the players and cause them to move. 

This interesting and queer game is new to the writer, 
though without doubt it is as old as all the others, and only 
chance has prevented him from becoming acquainted with 
it until he took up his residence in the old Quaker village 
of Flushing. The game savors distinctly of the old times, 
when people believed in fairies, gnomes, witches, and magic 
spells. 



CHAPTER XXVI 
LEAP-FROG. 

Teaching the Game to the Esquimaux — Foot-an'-Half— With First 
Back and a Leader — A Game Requiring Skill — Spanish Fly 
— The Danger of Quarrelling — Dick's Hat-band. 

When Mr. Landon Gibson was with Lieutenant Peary 
on his polar expedition he often had very jolly times 
with the hardy, good-natured, flat-faced natives of those 
cold climes. Among other things the explorers taught 
the natives the game of leap-frog, and used to have great 
fun allowing the little fur-clad, laughing Esquimaux to 
go straddling over their bent backs. It is possible that 
all of those in the polar region now know how to play 
the game, for the sport pleased them beyond measure, and 
no doubt they took advantage of the first opportunity to 
teach it to all their neighbors. 

How to Play Leap-frog. 

However, the Esquimaux will not read this book, and 
there may be some poor little chap so unfortunate as to be 
born and bred in one of our big cities, whose careful 
parents have had tutors for him in place of sending him 
to school, and whose life has been narrowed in various 
ways by his surroundings, so that he has never taken 
part in a game of leap-frog, or seen it played. For this un- 
fortunate, possible boy it is well to explain that this simple 



Leap-Frog 



311 



game is performed in the following manner : One boy, 
with his back to the player, stoops down and rests his 
hands on his knees. This is called 



" Giving a Back." 

The other boy places his hands on the first boy's back and 
leaps over him by straddling his legs wide apart on each 
side like a frog. The second boy then assumes the stooping 
posture and the third boy leaps over the first and second, 
and the fourth over all three, one at a time, of course. 

This goes on un- 
til there is no boy 
left who is not stoop- 
ing. Then the first 
boy's back straight- 
ens up and he goes 
leaping over his fel- 
lows and again gives 
a back, while the 
second one follows, 
and so on until they 
are all tired and the 
game ceases. 

Foot -an'- Half, or 
Foot and One- 
Half. 

The foot men- 
tioned in this title is 
not the foot marked 
on a United States 

standard rule, but a boyish foot enclosed in a rusty shoe 
and owned by the leader in the game. The boy who is 




Fig. 263.— Leap-frog. 



312 



Summer 




" It" in this game is called First Back. He stands at a taw 
line and gives a back. The leader is supposed to be the 
best jumper in the game, and is selected by the First Back 

for this reason. He tells First 
Back the height to hold his back 
and places his hands on First 
Back's shoulders, gives a leap, 
spreading his legs, and over he 
goes. Where the leader's heels 
strike he makes a mark, and First 
Back takes his position at this 
line, astride the line and with his 
side toward the taw and the 
other players. All the other boys 
stand at the taw line and one 
after another jump over First 
Back. 

When the leader's turn comes 
around again he makes another jump, not from the taw line 
but from a point a foot and a half in advance of the first 
starting point, measured with his own feet. Again he 
marks where his heels strike, and First Back takes his po- 
sition at this mark. 

This goes on until one of the players fails to clear First 
Back, usually tumbling him over and rolling both together 
on the ground. The player who fails is " It," or First Back, 
for the next game. Any player may direct First Back to 
give him a high, low, or medium back before he jumps. 
Usually each boy calls for as high a back as the leaper 
thinks he can possibly jump, each player taking pride in 
making good jumps and being loath to call for a low back 
unless the distance is great. 

Any jumper is allowed to place the middle of his foot on 



Fig. 264. — Foot-an'-Half. 



Leap- Frog 313 

the line, but more than that in advance of taw is called 
" toeing over the line." If a boy alights with one heel on 
the taw side of the line which First Back is straddling, it 
is called " heeling behind the line." Any one of these er- 
rors, or jumping out of turn, may "bring a player down." 
Generally some one shouts " Something up," and if he first 
names the error the boy who is caught becomes First Back. 
If the right error is unnamed the game proceeds. 

Foot-an'-Half, with a Leader and a Foot-an'-Half. 

Count out to find who shall be " It," or First Back. The 
First Back then selects the poorest jumper for leader and 
a good player for Foot-an'-Half, or " header" and " footer." 
The object of this arrangement is evident when the game 
proceeds, for it soon becomes plain to the dullest observer 
that Foot-an'-Half is First Back's friend and is doing his 
best to set tasks that it will be beyond the powers of the 
leader to perform. 

First Back stands with one foot on each side of the 
taw line, with his side toward the players, and " gives a 
back." The leader, followed by all the other players in 
turn, jumps over First Back. Foot-an'-Half, coming last, 
jumps as far as he can and marks the spot where his heels 
strike by a line drawn parallel to the taw line. First 
Back moves to the line drawn by Foot-an'-Half, and, plac- 
ing a foot on each side of the line, again gives a back. 

The leader may now take a foot and a half measured 
by his own feet from taw, or take a step beyond the taw 
line, if he deems the distance too great for a single jump. 
But should any one of the players following the leader be 
able to make the jump from taw, the leader becomes First 
Back and the game commences over. 

With good players and a good Foot-an'-Half the dis- 



3 1 4 Sunimer 

tance of First Back from the original taw line sometimes 
becomes so great that a successful jump is only accom- 
plished by taking a hop, skip, and a jump from the start- 
ing point, marking the spot where the heels strike, or three 
jumps and a hop and making the final jump over First 
Back from this mark. First Back stands high or low as 
he may be directed by each player in turn. 

Par 

is a game of Foot-an'-Half in which the leader marks his 
jump, Avhich each boy following must equal or exceed. 
After all have marked their jumps, First Back measures a 
foot and a half from taw line and takes his position at 
this point; the leader now jumps from taw over Foot-an'- 
Half and he must surpass all previous jumps. Failures 
bring the culprits *' down." 

Spanish Fly. 

After settling who is to be leader the boys start the 
game as in the preceding by the leader placing his hands 
on the shoulders of First Back and leaping over. As the 
boys go over in turn some good plaj^er, desiring to win 
glory for himself and to increase the fun, shouts " Spanish 
fly ! " before he touches. 

Up to the moment that the player makes this announce- 
ment it is supposed to be an ordinary game of Leap-frog 
or Foot-an'-Half. But now all realize that excitement and 
difficult feats are ahead of them. The next time the self- 
appointed leader goes over First Back he cries 

" Torchlight ! " 

and jumps with only one hand on First Back's shoulders, 
while with the other he waves his cap for a torch. All the 



Leap- Frog 315 

other players follow suit, and encouraged by their applause 
the leader selects more difficult feats to perform. 

" Hats on Deck ! " 

he now shouts, and placing his hat or cap on First Back's 
shoulders he leaps over without disturbing his head-gear. 
The next player places his cap on top of the leader's and 
leaps over it The last boy in " Hats on deck ! " or " Hats 
in a pile," as some call it, has the most difficult part to 
perform, often having five or six hats to jump over. Now 
the last boy makes another jump and takes his hat off the 
back without disturbing the others, and all the other play- 
ers follow suit. 

If none fail the leader next cries 

" Hats Full of Water ! " 

and picking his hat up he balances it upside down on his 
head and makes the jump without jostling it off his head. 
This act 'being performed by all the players, the leader 
next cries 

"Hats in the Water!" 

and jumping over First Back he deftly shakes off his hat on 
the other side. Each player following must do likewise, 
without touching another hat with his feet or with his own 
hat. 

When the hats are all in the water the leader must jump 
over First Back and alight on one foot without touching 
any of the hats scattered around; and still without coming 
in contact with hat or cap, or touching his uplifted foot 
to the ground, he must manage to hop to his own hat, 
kneel down and pick it up with his teeth, and hop back to 
First Back, turn his back to taw and First Back, and with a 



o 



1 6 Summer 



toss of his head send his cap backward over his own head 
and clear of First Back, toward taw. The touching of 
another hat or of the uplifted foot to the ground before the 
last feat is performed, will bring the leader down, or if he 
touches his own cap with his hands, or if his cap strikes 
First Back in going over, the leader " comes down, that is, 
takes First Back's place." 

Each of the players must perform the same feat in turn. 
A failure to perform the part in accordance with the pre- 
scribed rules brings the player down and the game begins 
over. Generally some one fails before the hats reach the 
water. If not the leader taxes his memory and invention 
to its utmost for difficult acts to perform, until some one 
fails, and the game starts afresh. 

Spanish Fly is a jolly game, full of fun and noise, two 
elements that seem inseparably connected ; but sometimes 
the rougher boys introduce rowdyism into the game that 
eventually results in doubled fists, blows, or bad names. 
This is the invariable result of such deportment where- 
ever it may be found, and all such acts as " spurings," 
" knucks," and " ramming the cannon " are to be tolerated 
only by toughs. 

Effect of Bad Names. 

Speaking of bad names, which with boys as well as with 
men are the invariable prelude to a fight, I once saw a little 
fellow in Kentucky close up the mouth of a low, vulgar bully 
in a truly boyish, but to me, a most novel and effective man- 
ner. Many of the horrid names that a retentive memory had 
stored in fifteen years of life among the " river rats " were 
hurled by the bully at the little Kentuckian. The latter 
turned pale, hesitated a moment, while a crowd of boys 
looked curiously on to see the result. It was evident to all 



Leap- Frog 317 

that the little fellow would stand but a poor chance for 
victory in a scufifle with the bandy-legged, broad-shouldered 
young tough from the levee on the river front. Yet, at 
first, it appeared as if the smaller boy meant to fight, for 
his little lists were clenched as if he intended to resent the 
insult with a blow ; but it was only a natural impulse of a 
brave boy, and was but momentary. 

Soon his little fingers unclasped and his hands were 
thrust carelessly into his trousers' pockets, the color came 
back to his cheeks, and with a bright smile on his lips, 
he gently said, " Fen for me, all on you, twice as many as 
you call me." 

This reply was greeted with a roar of applause and 
checkmated the levee bully, who, low as he was, did not 
care to call himself all the vulgar names he had applied to 
the little Kentuckian, and according to boys' etiquette it 
was evident that the only way he could prevent the names 
reverting to himself with doubled intensity was by keeping 
his bull-dog jaws closed. 

Dick's Hat-band. 

One of the players consents to act the part of Dick ; the 
others are his band, and since all their hats are used in the 
game the other boys are called his hat-band. Dick's own 
hat is placed in front of a row of those of his band, which 
are ranged in a line parallel to a board-fence or dead wall, 
at a distance of about a foot from it and a couple of inches 
or thereabouts from each other. 

The game is begun by Dick, who, placing the heel of 
one foot against the toe of the other, and then the heel 
of the latter against the toe of the other, alternately, meas- 
ures off from twelve to fifteen of his foot-lengths directly 
away from the line of hats. At this distance he marks his 



3 1 8 Summer 

taw line. He then measures off five more of his foot- 
lengths and marks the distance line. 

Standing upon the taw line Dick tries to toss a ball into 
his own hat. If he succeeds in doing this he cries " Even 
score," which is twenty points, the game being one hun- 
dred ; if he fails, the other players shout " Odd," and each 
gains a point, while Dick gets a " scratch," which is one 
against him. Whether he wins or loses, however, he puts 
his hat on his head and throws the ball a second time, try- 
ing to make it drop into the last hat in the row on the 
right. If he fails, the boy to whom the hat belongs, 
together with all the players but Dick, again shout " odd," 
and gain a point, Dick losing one, and the said ov/ner of 
the hat becomes " Dick," v.hile he who was Dick places his 
hat to the left of the others. If, however, Dick succeeds in 
making the ball fall into the hat, he puts it on his head on 
top of his own, while the owner of the former hat gives a 
back, as in Leap-frog, at the distance line, and Dick, stand- 
ing at the base line, tries to leap over him without jolting 
off either one or both the hats from his head. Should he 
do this he shouts " Even score " and gets twenty more 
points ; should he fail, the band shout " Odd," and get a 
point apiece, while Dick has a scratch and loses one, and 
becomes one of the band, the owner of the extra hat be- 
coming Dick. If, however, Dick gets his " even score," he 
tries to make the ball rebound into the next hat on the 
right from the one in which the ball was last, and, succeed- 
ing, puts this hat on his head in addition to the two already 
there, and again attempts the same feat with the owner of 
the third hat he has successfully performed with that of the 
second. 

And thus the game goes on. As Dick's hats increase 
in number the other boys try to disconcert him by shouting 



Leap- Frog 319 

" Wig, wag ! wig, wag ! Dick with a hat-band ! " Dick 
cannot very well carry more than half a dozen hats on his 
head, and consequently the game is generally limited to 
that number of players, the odd number, five, being the 
band, and the extra one Dick. 

Much sport may be had at this game. It is simple and 
yet requires considerable skill and activity to play it well. 
An ordinary tennis ball, or, better still, a child's rubber ball, 
is the best one to use. The score may be kept by marking 
it down on the wall or fence with a bit of chalk, or each 
player may have a shallow hole in the ground in which a 
bit of stick is put for a point and a stone for a scratch. 



CHAPTER XXVII 
VARIOUS SPORTS FOR HOT DAYS 

" Jack's Alive ! "—Spirit Tortoise and Dead Turtles- Jack and the Can- 
dles — Bowlder On, or Duck on a Rock — Nine and Ten Pins — Skit- 
tles, Ancient and Modern. 

Having built a small bonfire in some vacant lot, all the 
boys squat around it like so many Indians about their camp- 
fire. A cork on the end of a stick is thrust into the blaze 
and allowed to remain there until it becomes well lighted. 
Then by using the stick for a handle one of the boys with- 
draws the cork and, blowing out the flame but leaving the 
red glowing end of the cork, exclaims 

" Jack's Alive ! " 

and passes it to the next boy to the right. This boy blow§ 
the cork to see that the end still glows and repeats the 
words, " Jack's alive ! " as he hands it to 
his companion at his right. 

As the hot end becomes duller the 
boys pass it with greater haste, each re- 
peating, »" Jack's alive," until the time ar- 
rives when no amount of blowing will 
Fig. 265.— Been Playing bring to life the dead embers on the 

Jack's Alive. , _,, . i 1 1 

cork. 1 hen *' Jack is dead, and the boy 
holding the dead Jack must submit to having the score 
marked on his face. One black mark only can be made for 
one dead Jack. The first mark may be on one side of the 
player's upper lip representing one-half of a mustache. 




Various Sports for Hot Days 321 

The cork is then again placed in the fire while the boys 
sit around and wait for Jack to come to life again. Then 
the cork is again passed around with the same remarks, 
until Jack again expires and another lad is decorated with 
the half of a mustache or a big black eyebrow or a round 
black dot on his cheek. 

When Jack shows a ruddy red light he is passed along 
carelessly, but as his light pales it is laughable to see with 
what haste the boys shout "Jack's alive! "and pass the 
dying ember on to the next player. 

Spirit Tortoise and Dead Turtles. 

There is no necessity of counting out in this game, for 
all are " It." The game commences by each lad choosing 
what sort of turtle he intends to represent. " Fm a soft 
back ! " " I'm a snapper! " " I'm a mud turtle ! " " I'm a 
diamond back ! " " I'm a red belly ! " and " I'm a land tor- 
toise ! " they shout. Then they all squat down in a row, 
resting their chins on their knees and crossing their hands, 
each holding his right foot with his left hand and his left 
foot with his right hand. 

A short distance from the line of boys is some object, 
a fence or wall, which they have decided upon as their taw 
line or goal. It is the object of all the turtles to waddle along 
without removing their hands from their feet until they 
have touched goal and returned to the starting point. 
When all are ready they shout out a comical verse, which 
is probably intended to represent the awkward motions of 
the turtles by words — 

" Kumbo, kuzetoo, rungetoo, zee ! 
When we start, fun you'll see ! 
Willy, vvally, wully, wake ! 
See this turtle take the cake ! " 



322 Summer 

At the word " cake " all start in their queer race amid 
general laughter, boasting, and banter. Sooner or later 
some one of the boj'^s is certain to loose his grip on either 
one or the other of his feet. Then the others shout " Dead 
turtle ! " and the player whose hand slipped must lie mo- 
tionless where he is until the return of his more skilful 
companions. 

The first racer who reaches his goal and returns success- 
fully is the victor, and is supposed to be endowed with su- 
pernatural powers. After reaching the starting point he 
goes back to the dead turtles, and of each he makes the 
same inquiry, " Dead turtle, what are you doing there ? " 

Now, while all who fail are considered dead, yet they 
are not supposed to be deprived of the power of speech, 
and so no one is surprised when the dead turtle answers in 
these words : " I am waiting for the spirit tortoise to blow 
life into me." The victor, or spirit tortoise, still retaining 
fast hold of his feet with his hands, manages to waddle 
around the dead turtle, repeating these mystic lines : 

" Hunyab, Punjab, chiz row zie, 
I bring life to all near me ! 
I touch a turtle on the snout, 
Life blows in and death blows out ! " 

Loosening his grasp on one foot for an instant, the spirit 
tortoise touches the nose of the dead turtle with his fingfer, 
and instantly the dead turtle returns to life, grasps his right 
foot with his left hand and his left foot with his right hand 
and wiggles back to the starting point. 

After the victor has restored all the dead to life he man- 
ages to regain his position at the starting point and the 
game is finished. 

It is no easy matter to win in this game, and the victor 



Various Sports for Hot Days 323 



must have the pluck and force of character to hold hard 
with both hands, no matter how great the temptation to let 
go and be a dead turtle. 

This game is said to be of Indian origin. In the Indian 
game neither the turtles nor the tortoises repeat verses, but 
in other respects it is practically the same as the Indian 
tortoise race. 

Jack and the Candles. 

"School is out and it will be hours before it is dark. 
What shall I do to fill in the time ? " says the healthy boy. 




Fig. 266. — Jack and the Candles. 

Well-meaning parents sometimes answer: " Come home, be 
washed and dressed, and go out with nurse for a walk." 

Old Mother Nature says : " Shout, run, jump, and have 
a rollicking good time. After a good romp you will need 
no walk and no nurse. You can wash yourself as clean as 



324 Stimmer 

soap and water will make you, put on your good clothes, 
and eat as hearty a meal as your parents can provide; 
study as hard before bedtime as your young mind is able, 
sleep as soundly as good health will admit, and wake up as 
bright as a dollar next morning." 

It is hard in cities to find games that can be played in 
the awful presence of cable and trolley cars and big brass- 
buttoned policemen, none of whom have much sympathy 
with boys or their sports, but there are few places, even in 
crowded New York, that have not a comparatively quiet 
side-street near by where such a game as Jack and the 
Candles can be played with little danger of the direful 
interference of the street cars or policemen. 

Choosing the Master. 

There ought to be at least half a dozen boys in the 
game. One boy is chosen for master by drawing straws 
previously described ; the boy holding the longest straw 
is " master," and the lad with the shortest straw is poor 
" Jack." The game begins by the master sending Jack after 
some candles. 

"Jack!" calls the master in a domineering manner. 
" Yes, sir," answers Jack, meekly. " You lazy rascal, come 
here ! " " Yes, sir," replies Jack, edging cautiously up. 
" We expect company to-night, and need more light; go and 
fetch me some candles." Jack, apparently glad to escape 
from the presence of his master, hastens away. While 
Jack is out of hearing, the other boys range themselves in 
a row on any convenient seat, and each selects a name for 
himself, as "Baked Beans," "Tripe," "Onions," "Mutton 
Chops," " Mush," " Sauerkraut," " Plum Pudding," or any 
other set of names they may choose. 

After all have chosen names and told them to the mas- 



Various Sports for Hot Days 325 

ter, the latter, in a loud tone, summons Jack, who, of 
course, comes back empty-handed. This apparently en- 
rages the master, and he threatens Jack with a pocket- 
handkerchief that has a knot in one end. Jack begins to 
make excuses, saying that he went to the hardware shop 
and the clerk told him he had nothing in light ware except 
tin lanterns ; at the bakery they told him that the only 
light they had for sale was light bread, and the blacksmith 
told him to light out, and some one else said that if he did 
not snuff himself out mighty quick he would let daylight 
through him, and the butcher that he would sell him liver 
and lights, etc. In fact, Jack tries in his excuses to be silly 
or witty enough to make the other boys laugh. The mas- 
ter then tells Jack that he is light-headed enough to answer 
the purpose, and since he has brought no candles they 
must eat in the dark. Then he commands him to bring on 
the " sauerkraut," or any other name chosen by the boys. 
It is 

Now Jack's Duty 

to select the one of his playmates whom he thinks may have 
chosen sauerkraut for his name. If the servant fails, as he 
is most likely to do. Jack is told to get up on the back of 
the boy he has selected, and that boy passes sentence on the 
unlucky servant in this manner : " Master, let him have 
three hard eggs and three soft eggs," or " four soft eggs 
and two peppers," always limiting the amount of the dish 
to six. For soft eggs the master gently flaps Jack on the 
back with the loose or soft end of the handkerchief; for 
hard eggs he applies the knotted end ; for pepper he snaps 
the handkerchief at that part of Jack's clothes which is 
drawn the tightest, after which he is told to try again and 
to bring on some other dish named. 

But if Jack selects the boy whose name has been called, 



326 



Summer 



then that boy must mount on Jack's back and Jack passes 
the sentence and the master administers the punishment 
accordingly, giving him pepper, soft or hard eggs, as the 
case may be, after which Jack becomes master. The mas- 
ter takes his place in the line, and the boy whose name was 
guessed becomes Jack and is sent for candles, while the 




Fig. €67. —Hard-boiled Eggs. 

Others choose new names, and so the game goes on. Each 
boy in the line is careful, as a rule, not to make Jack's pun- 
ishment too severe, for fear Jack may guess his adopted 
name and pay him back in his own coin. 

In many cities in the United States there are hundreds 
of Jacks hunting for candles every summer evening, and 
some that I have heard of have become so proficient in 
their part and create so much fun by their witty excuses 



Various Sports for Hot Days 327 

that the merry shouts of boyish laughter that greet their 
remarks may be heard for a block away. And some boys 
make excellent masters, imitating with rare ability the 
harsh, unreasonable language of a churl in authority, while 
Sauerkraut, Baked Beans, Pickles, and Mush sit in a line 
on curbstone or fence and applaud their young dramatic 
stars. 

Bowlder On ; or, Duck on a Rock. 

It was hot. The boards of the lumber-piles visibly 
shrank and lost color under the direct rays of the sun. 
The yellow-clay banks of the river dried and cracked until 
what was lately mud now appeared to be a mosaic work 
of irregular flat stones. Between the bricks of the uneven 
sidewalks the ants were busy piling up little cones of dry 
pellets of yellow earth. The angle-worms had retreated 
so far below that a spade would scarcely reach them, 
and on the gate-post the song sparrow perched himself, 
that being the most exposed and unprotected spot avail- 
able, and there he gleefully sang his little tune. In the 
vacant lots the bumble-bees buzzed and feasted on the red 
clover that grew among the weeds. 

Where were the boys on this hot day ? All were in 
swimming, except those who had already soaked them- 
selves in the water until the ends of their fingers shrivelled 
up like a washer-woman's. And these lads were gathered 
under the wide-spreading branches of a giant oak playing 
" Bowlder On," the local name for " Duck on a Rock," and 
the author of this book was with them gaining his first 
knowledge of the charms of this simple but popular game. 

How the Game is Played. 

It is not customary to count out for the one who is to be 
"It" in this game. As soon as the game is proposed each 



328 Summer 

boy searches for a cobble-stone, and when he finds one 
announces the fact by shouting " My duck ! " The last 
boy to shout is " It," and he cries " My drake ! " and 
places his cobble-stone or small bowlder on the larger one 
selected for the purpose and stands guard over his drake. 

The other players stand at a taw or scratch line and 
throw their ducks at the drake with the purpose of 
knocking it from its perch. Each player who has thrown 
and missed must recover his duck and run the risk of be- 
ing caught by the lad guarding the drake. The guardian 
stands by the rock, but cannot tag a playfellow until the 
latter has touched his duck. Often all the boys make a 
rush for their ducks at the same time, each one trusting 
to luck that he will have the good fortune to escape 
over the taw-line free, and sometimes they all escape. 
More frequently, however, some one of the crowd re- 
ceives a tag from the guardian of the drake, and he must 
then drop his duck and assume the guardian's place, 
while the latter picks up the duck and joins the rest of 
the crowd of duck-throwers at taw-line. 

If at any time one of the players succeeds in knocking 
the drake off of his perch then all the boys scramble for 
their ducks that are scattered around, and the guardian, or 
" It," as quickly as possible replaces his drake, for he may 
not tag any one until his drake is in place. 

There is always an appearance of danger in this game 
on account of the flying bowlders, but the danger is only 
apparent and is nothing like as real as it is in base-ball or 
foot-ball. " Bowlder On," however, is quite exciting. 

Nine- and Ten-Pins. 

Because some people used nine-pins as a gambling game, 
the authorities thought to stamp out the evil by making the 



Various sports for Hot Days 329 




Fig. 268 —Brick Skittles. 



game unlawful. But after the 

law against nine - pins was 

passed the proprietors of the 

bowling alleys hung out signs 

" 7>;z-pins played here," and 

as the law said nothing about 

ten-pins the authorities were 

unable to interfere. Ten-pins 

thus became the American 

game. At first all games with 

balls and pins as bowls and 

skittles were out-door games 

and played on smooth, level grass-plots similar to the old 

Bowling Green in New York City. 

Skittles 

is an old English name for wooden pins and the game in 
which they were used. The game of 

Bowls 

was like a game of marbles, with this 
difference, that in place of shooting a 
small marble from the fingers a large 
wooden ball was rolled at a number of 
other wooden balls placed some dis- 
tance away on the green. 

British Skittles. 

British skittles is a game allied in 
character to bowls. In the last century 
skittles was a fashionable game. An 
old print of 1786 represents a skittle- 
alley of that period. The alley is 





1 1 




1 1 


1 


1 


1 1 


1 1 


1 1 


1 1 


1 1 


1 1 



Fig. 269. — American Bowls. 



330 Summer 

fringed with poplars, and has at one end a summer-house. 
Here three gentlemen in cocked hats read the news 
and partake of refreshments. More refreshments are car- 
ried by a waiter. Old-fashioned "dudes" in cocked hats 
look on, while a friend rolls a ball at the pins. The moral 

is : 

" In Reason's Eye the world's a Skittle (Iround 
In which mankind will tott'ring pins be found." 

Skittles in China and Persia. 

The book which is adorned with these reflections is a 
complete guide to " Old and New Methods of Forming 
General Goes and Tips," and includes a discourse on the 
Chinese and Persian modes of playing skittles. From this 
it appears that skittles in olden times was considered a 
most scientific affair. The frame (the name of the arrange- 
ment of pins) and other features of the game were all 
calculated on mathematical principles, with arcs and curves 
and plenty of goodly learning. 

The Chinese use twenty-five pins, and the game counts 
457 points. The different pins are called Tong-hw, Tsi-shu, 
Nang-Mw, etc., and refer to the resemblance between the 
standing pins and a wood or forest. The Persians set up 
the pins in concentric circles — that is, one circle inside an- 
other circle — and use seventeen pins. The ball was like 
that used in English bowls. 

Such are the rude outlines of British and foreign 
skittles ; but mastery of the details of the game can be 
acquired only by special aptitude and serious application, 
and is hardly to be attained by an American boy, who has 
so many equally good games at hand. According to an 
old English book of games, skittles proper is what we call 
nine-pins. 



Various Sports for Hot Days 33 1 



Brick Skittles. 

Ordinary bricks, or, as the Ohio boys call them, *' brick 
bats," make good skittles, and cobble-stones will make 
very fair bowls for a game. On a vacant lot or open space 
draw a diamond-shaped figure and set up three rows of 
bricks at equal distances from each other. At a distance 
agreed upon from this "frame" draw the scratch or taw- 
line, and with your cobble-stones or small bowlders bowl 
the bricks down as you would the pins in a bowling-alley. 
Count a point for every brick 
fairly upset. Make the game 
as many points as you wish, and 
take turns in bowling. 

Fours 

is played in the same way as 
nine-pins or skittles, with the 
exception that bricks are used 
for nine-pins, and that only four 
bricks are set up in the frame, 
one at each of the four corners 
of the diamond. 

Dutch Pins. 

In the real game of Dutch pins 
the skittles are larger and taller than 
in the other games here described, 
but as bricks are made of one size you 
will use the same bricks for Dutch 
pins that you do for nine-pins, but a 
square is used in pla.ce of a diamond for the frame, and nine 
bricks are set up in three lines. 




Fig. 270. — Frame of Four Bricks. 



f-l 


|-| 


|— 1 


1 — 





1 


L 


- 


-J 



Fig. 271. — Dutch Pins. 



CHAPTER XXVIII 
TIP-CAT 

How the Cat is Made — English-Cat — Country-Cat — American-Cat— 
A Game Requiring Skill and Quickness. 

There are many quaint laws in this and other countries 
that are never enforced, and there are many games in boys' 
books that are never played. Once on a time the old laws 
were active and were obeyed ; and once on a time some 
boys somewhere played the old games, but to-day they are 
dead. 

Trap-ball is one of these dead games, but Tip-Cat is a 
revival of the old game and is anything but dead. Not 
only does it show signs of renewed popularity, but it is 
spreading rapidly all over the world where there are boys 
to play. It is popular all along the Atlantic Coast, in Ger- 
many, Italy, and even in Hindostan. Fifty years ago Tip- 
Cat was practically confined to the rustics in England, and 
fifteen years ago was uncommon in the United States and 
unknown in many sections. 

The Cat 

is a piece of wood about half a foot long and two inches in 
diameter at the middle, from which it narrows down to a 
point at each end, forming two elongated cones joined at 
their bases (Fig. 272). When the cat is placed upon the 
ground and struck upon either end with a stick it will fly 
up in the air. 



Tip- Cat 



333 



English Cat. 

In this game there are from four to eight bases, accord- 
ing to the number of players. Usually the bases are simply 
holes in the ground, like "roily poly" or "nigger baby" 
holes. These bases are arranged on the circumference 
of a circle at equal distances apart. The Outs take the 
field, and the Ins, each with a stick for a bat, station them- 
selves at the bases or holes. One of the fielders toss- 
es the cat to the nearest batsman. The latter endeavors to 
strike it, and if he hits the cat then all the boys on the 
bases must change places. If the cat has been knocked a 

long distance they continue 

® - Fig. 272, Fig. 273. 

to run from one base to an- 
other as long as they feel 
safe in doing so. Each base 
gained scores a point, but if 
one of the Outs catches the 
cat the striker who struck it 
is out, and if one of the Outs 
stops the cat and throws it 
in front of a player after he 
has quitted one base and be- 
fore he reaches the other, 
that player is crossed out. 

When all are out the oth- 
er side take the bases and 
have an inning, while those 
lately at the bat take to the 
field and toss the cat as be- 
fore described. When a 
striker misses the cat he tosses it back to the fielder, and 
the latter tries another toss. 




Fig. 274. 
Figs. 272-274. — Cat, Bat, and Player. 



334 Smnmer 



Country Cat. 

Make a ring on the ground as large as a big circus 
ring, and stand the striker in the centre. The fielder or 
fielders, as the case may be, stand inside the ring in front of 
the striker, and toss him the cat. If the boy at the bat 
misses, it counts nothing ; if he hits and fails to knock the 
cat outside the circle, he is out. If a fielder catches the cat 
when struck by the stick of the batter, the batter is out. 

When the striker succeeds in sending the cat outside of 
the ring, he carefully measures the distance with his eye, 
and calls out " Twenty," " Thirty," or " Seventy," as the 
case may be, and if his call is not disputed, his score is 
credited with that number. But if the fielders challenge 
the score, the stick used by the striker for a bat is used as a 
measuring rod, and the distance is measured from the point 
where the striker stands to the spot where the cat has fallen. 

If it is found that the striker has claimed too much he 
scores nothing, and resigns his stick to the fielder whose 
turn comes next. But if it is discovered that there ai"e 
twenty-one stick-lengths where the striker has only claimed 
twenty, or seventy-two where he has only claimed sixty- 
eight, that is, if it is found by measurement that he has not 
claimed too much, he is credited with the number called 
and the game goes on. 

Where there are more than one fielder they decide 
among themselves the numbers they take. Number One 
has the first inning, and Number Two's inning begins when 
Number One is out, etc. 

American Cat. 

The American cat is smaller than the Country or 
English cat, the double cone not being over four or five 



Tip- Cat 335 

inches long. If the game is played on the sidewalk, as the 
boys play it in New York City, a small circle is drawn on 
the paving stones, where the striker stands ; but if the 
game is played on the bare earth, a hole is made, where 
the striker stands. It is the duty of the batsman to defend 
the hole or ring with the stick he uses for a bat, and it 
is the object of the giver or pitcher to toss the cat in the 
circle or hole. 

If he is successful, the striker is out. If, on the other 
hand, it falls outside the circle, the striker places the cat 
inside the ring, strikes it on one end, which causes the 
little piece of wood to fly up in the air, and before it 
reaches the ground the striker endeavors to hit it again 
and send the cat as far as possible. 

If he Misses 

he throws the cat back to the fielder, who again attempts 
to toss it into the circle, but if he succeeds in sending it 
a good distance he does not call his score, as described in 
Country Cat, but the pitcher offers him five points or ten, 
as the case may be. The striker, however, is not compelled 
to accept the offer, and may keep the pitcher bidding for 
some time, and if his last bid is refused the pitcher 
proceeds to measure the distance from the circle to the cat 
in jumps. If he can make the distance in fewer jumps than 
he has bid, the striker, or the striker's side, loses the num- 
ber of points named in the last bid of the pitcher, and the 
striker is out. 

Sometimes the score is measured by feet, that is, the 
length of the pitcher's foot is the unit of measure, or one 
point in the score. If a fielder or the pitcher catches the 
cat when struck b}' the batter, the batter is out. 



CHAPTER XXIX 
GAMES OF BALL 

How Town-Ball is Played— One or Two Old-Cat— House-Ball-Hand 
Up — Bailie Callie — Crackabout — Over the Barn — Stool-Ball — Corner- 
Ball— Black Baby— Hat-Ball. 

It is almost a waste of space to describe in detail any 
of the National popular games, such as base-ball, as the 
rules which govern them for one year will not answer 
for the next. And, furthermore, there is possibly not a 
reader of this book that does not keep himself thoroughly 
posted upon such games. But there is the "father" of 
base-ball, which is a first-rate game, and not played enough 
to be constantly changing its form and rules. In England, 
this game, or its immediate ancestor, is called Rounders, 
and possibly it may go by this name in some parts of the 
United States, but in the West it was formerly called 

Town-Ball. 

The ball and bat used in Town-Ball are both different 
from those used in base-ball. In place of bases there are 
corners, in place of a pitcher there is a giver, and the field- 
ers are of any number, with no distinctive names. 

The Ball 

is sometimes a small rubber ball, such as can be found at 
most toy -stores — not those of solid rubber, which are 



Games of Ball 



337 



generally black in color and too heavy, but the hollow 
ones of a whitish color. The real town-ball, however, is a 
home-made affair, consisting of a small ball of tightly wound 
yarn, usually unravelled by the boys from old yarn socks, 
and wound up into a spherical form. This is covered with 
leather that is cut in the form of a three-leaved clover, or 
may be you will understand better if it is likened to an 

Fig. 275. 




Fig. 275, 276. — Town-ball ; showing 
How it is Made. 



Fig. 277. — Delilling. 



Fig. 278. 



orange-peel when you make three cuts in the orange-skin 
and then take the rind off without breaking it (Fig. 275). 
This leather covering is sewed on the ball with shoemaker's 
thread by means of an awl and a waxed-end, and should fit 
tightly and evenly without wrinkles. A well-made ball is 
a work of art that boys are proud of exhibiting and talk- 
ing about. 

The Bat 

is either very short, resembling a dwarf base-ball bat (Fig. 
277), and is called a " delill," or it is broad and flat after the 
fashion of a cricket-bat (Fig. 278). 



338 



Summer 



The Corners 

are usually three in number, with a home-base, making four, 
but this varies according to the whim of the players or the 
locality where the game is played. Ordinarih^ with three 
corners the distances are about the same as between the 
bases in base-ball. In place of home-base there is a rec- 
tangle marked on the ground where the striker and catcher 
stand. 

The Giver 

stands in the same position that the pitcher occupies in a 
game of base-ball ; but in place of pitching or making the 
underhand throw, he throws overhand and " gives " the 

ball to the catcher over the 
right shoulder of the batter. 



\ 



The Batter 

stands at the front line of 

the home-base and holds his 

bat above his shoulder and 

^^ strikes from that position, 

with both hands grasping 

the handle of the bat, if he 

is using a flat bat. But if 

he is using a "delill" he 

holds it with one hand and 

allows the swiftly thrown 

ball to strike his club and 

glance off at an angle to a 

part of the grounds where 

no fielders are on the outlook for it. Every time the ball 

touches the bat it is considered a fair hit, and the batter 

must run for his first corner and reach it, if possible, before 



TOVVN 
BALL 




Fig. 279. — Game of Town-ball. 



I 



Games of Ball 339 



some fielder, the catcher, or giver secures the ball and 
" burns " or " stings " him, as they call it when they hit a 
player v/ith the ball. No one stands on guard at the 
bases to catch the batter out, and the ball, in place of being 
thrown to the base, is thrown at the man running the corners. 
When one batter makes a hit or is put out the next batter 
takes his place, as in base-ball. 

The Catcher 

stands behind the bat and without gloves, and with no pro- 
tection for his face or body he catches the "hot" balls the 
giver sends to him. The balls are not heavy enough to be 
dangerous. 

The Fielders 

scatter themselves over the field, according to the direc- 
tions of the captain, and try to catch or stop all balls from 
the bat, or those that are thrown at and miss the runners 
between corners. 

When Out. 

When a man is out he is out until the next inning, and 
the game proceeds without him. If a striker sends a ball in 
the air and it is caught before it touches the ground by the 
giver, the catcher, or any one of the fielders, the batter is 
out. If the ball touches his bat it is counted a hit, and if it 
is caught by any one of the opposite side he is out. 

If any one of the fielders, the catcher, or giver make 
a successful throw at a man running the corners and 
strikes him with the ball when he is not touching his cor- 
ner, he is out. 

If the batter misses a ball that he strikes at, and the 
catcher catches the ball before it strikes the ground, the 
batter is out. 




340 Summer 

When a man is put out, he is out for that inning, and 
cannot strike again until the next inning for his side. 
When all are out but one, that one has a very difficult task 
to make a score, unless he can make a home-run strike. 
There are no other batters to help him by sending a " sk}"- 
scraper" over the fielders' heads; but he must run his cor- 
ners while the giver and catcher, standing in their regular 
position, pass the ball between them. This always pro- 
duces a great deal of excitement and sport, as all the 
batter's side coach him, and if he succeeds in stealing a 
corner or successfully dodges the ball thrown at him, he is 
greeted by wild cheers from his own side. 

Should he at last succeed in reaching home-base un- 
touched, he has the privilege of "putting in" the best 
batter on his side, and there are then two men in and a 
better chance to score. 

Any number of boys may play in one game, and since 
all the really necessary properties consist of a ball and a 
bat, both home made, it makes a game much better suited 
to boys than base-ball, with all its array of expensive balls, 
bats, bases, home plates, armor, wire masks, sliding gaunt- 
lets, and gloves. As far as skill is concerned, no good town- 
ball player need hang his head in the presence of the best 
I of base-ball players. 

Fig. 279 shows the proper method of laying out the 
field. In this case, wands, with colored flags on them, are 
stuck into the ground for corners. These are strong 
enough, for the runner only touches them with his hand 
and does not fall all over them, or slide to them, as in base- 
ball. The distances between bases are regulated according 
to circumstances and the dimensions of the play-ground. 



Games of Ball 341 



One or Two Old Cat, Striking Out, or Feeder. 

This is town-ball modified to suit the occasion when 
only three or four boys play the game. Of course a giver, 
a catcher, and a batter are necessary, but there is usually 
only one corner for the batter to run. Generally the run 
is from home to the pitcher's stand and back again. If 
the game is played with a small ball the runner must be 
"stung" with the ball; if played with a base-ball, he must 
be touched with the ball while in the hand of the pitcher or 
catcher. In other particulars the rules of the previous 
game govern this. When the striker is on his corner the 
catcher and giver, or pitcher, pass the ball back and for- 
ward, between them, while he tries to run home. 

When there is only one striker, the game is One Old 
Cat; when there are two strikers, it is called Two Old Cat, 
the game being named according to the number of strikers. 

House-ball. 

In this game the house takes the place of the pitcher or 
giver. Two boys, a batter and a catcher, stand facing a 
blank wall, usually the side of a brick house. The catcher 
throws the ball against the side of the house and as it 
rebounds the striker, or batter, endeavors to hit it, and then 
runs to the house and back home before the catcher can 
touch him with the ball. If the batter misses the ball and 
the latter is caught by the catcher, the batter is out, and 
must take the catcher's place. If the striker reaches the 
house, but is unable to return before the catcher secures 
the ball, the catcher throws the ball against the house and 
catches it on the rebound, and the runner is expected to 
run in home, or attempts to do so before four balls are 



342 



Summer 



passed. Otherwise the striker is out, and must give up his 
bat to the catcher and take his place behind the bat. ' 

Hand Up. 

The blank side-wall of a brick house and a bit of hard, 
flat ground form an ideal field for Hand Up. With a sharp 
stick trace three sides of a square on the hard ground in 
front of the wall, and let the wall form the fourth side and 
complete the square. These are the boundary lines. Make 




Fig. 280. — Hands Up. 

another line on the wall, three feet from the ground, and a 
taw line, nine feet from the wall, on the ground, and 
you are ready to choose up for sides or toss for " first hand 
up." You may have one on a side, or as many as you 
choose ; there is no limit. 

First Hand Up takes a small rubber town-ball or a base- 
ball and drops it in the square at the taw line, so that it will 
bound, or bounce, as the boys would say. As the ball rises 
from the earth the player strikes it with the flat of his 
hand, sending the ball as^ainst the wall, above the three-foot 
line, with sufficient force to cause it to rebound and fall 



Games of Ball 343 



outside the taw line. The next player uses his hand as a 
bat, an'd sends the ball back against the house in the same 
manner. He must hit the ball on the first bound or before 
it has touched the earth. The next player is ready to take 
his turn and strikes the ball on the rebound, and so the 
game proceeds, until someone misses, or sends the ball 
below the three-foot mark or outside the boundaries. 

If it is the first striker who misses or sends the ball out 
of the boundaries on the ground or side of the house, then 
he loses his inning, and the boy on the other side drops the 
ball and strikes it as already described. 

If it is a player on "outs" that makes a miss, then the 
"inners" count one for each miss or foul. A foul is when 
the ball goes below the three-foot line on the house or 
rebounds outside the boundaries. 

The Outs cannot count when the Ins miss, but they 
take the place of the Ins and the Ins are out. After the 
first hand up or play it is unnecessary that the ball should 
rebound be)^ond the taw line. Fifteen points make a game. 
In England the boys have the same game under the name 
of Fives. 

Bailie Callie. 

As in the preceding game the ball is thrown against the 
house while all the players group themselves around the 
giver. As soon as the latter sends his ball against the 
house he shouts the name of one of his playmates who must 
catch the ball on the rebound. If he misses or drops the 
ball the other boys scatter in every direction, but come to 
a halt when he picks up the ball and cries, " Stand ! " He 
then selects a victim and throws the ball at him. If he hits 
the boy aimed at, the latter throws the ball against the 
house, and the game goes on, but if he misses he must stand 



344 Summer 

against the wall with head down and allow each of the other 
players to have one throw at him with the ball from a 
distance of ten paces. 

Crackabout 

is played with a town-ball or a soft rubber ball. For noise 
and activity Crackabout excels all other games. The boy 
owning the ball cries "Crackabout!" and throws the 
missile at his nearest comrade. All the others make a mad 
rush to gain possession of the ball, and as soon as one of 
their number has secured it, the others make an equally 
mad rush to escape ; and alternately rushing together to 
secure the ball and scattering far apart to escape being hit 
by it, shouting and laughing, the boys are soon tired out 
and are ready to rest or play some quieter game. Twenty 
years ago Crackabout was the favorite recess game in 
Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky, and when the 
bo3^s came in at the call of the bell they were all mopping 
their heads with their handkerchiefs, and brighter eyes and 
rosier cheeks never faced a tired and patient school-teacher 
than those which came fresh from a rollicking game of 
Crackabout. 

Over the Barn, House Over or Haley Over. 

Choose up for sides. When all are ready, form two 
separate groups, one on each side of a house or barn. The 
boy with the ball cries, " House over ! " and throws the 
ball over the house where the others are watching for its 
appearance in the hopes of catching it before it touches the 
ground. If they are successful in this, the boy who makes 
the catch rushes around the house and throws the ball at 
some one on the other side. 

Since there is no way for the side who threw the ball to 



Games of Ball 345 



know whether or not it was caught until the lad from the 
other side appears with it in his hand, it is no wonder that 
there should be wild cries and a scurrying of feet upon the 
sudden appearance of the boy with the ball. 

If the latter hits one of the other side, the boy hit must 
follow his captor, who returns to his own side of the house 
with his prisoner, shouts, "Over the house!" and throws 
the ball. Each miss counts nothing. Each catch brings 
with it the right to invade the enemies' camp, and to select 
a victim and even run after him, so as to shorten the dis- 
tance and increase the chance of hitting him with the ball. 
Each boy hit joins the side of the boy who threw the ball, 
and the game ends only when all the players are gathered 
upon one side of the house. This game will do for the 
suburbs of cities and villages, where detached houses of 
moderate height are to be found. 

In olden times 

Stool-ball 

appears to have been quite a popular game, but it never 
took root in American soil. 

The second Christmas after the founding of the colony 
of Massachusetts, Governor Bradford took the balls and 
stools away from the players ; and he it must be who is 
responsible for the killing of the ancient game in America, 
for apparently it never revived. 

Corner-ball. 

The number of corners depends upon the number of 
players. If you have six boys, then there are three corners, 
making the boundaries of a triangular form. If you have 
eight boys, then there are four corners, and the boundaries 
form a square. There should be more than four players, 



34^ Summer 

because with this number you would have only two bases 
and the boundaries would be a straight line. 

The Ins take the bases and the Outs group themselves 
inside the triangle, square, or whatever the figure may be 
formed by the corners. The Ins pass the ball around the 
corners, throwing and catching until they see a good chance 
to hit one of the Outs grouped inside the boundaries. The 
ball is then thrown at the Outs, and if it hits one he is out 
of the game ; and if it misses, the thrower is out of the 
game. But, if one of those in the centre catch the ball, 
there is a laugh and the ball is thrown back to a corner 
man with no score either way. 

When all of one side are put out of the game the 
opposite side has won, and all are entitled to a throw with 
the ball at the boy on the losing side who was first put 
6ut. The victim stands with head down and back arched 
facing a wall, while the victors line themselves at thirty 
feet distant and take turns " burning " the captive — that is, 
hitting him with the ball — if they can. It must be remem- 
bered that the dangerous base-ball is never used in these 
games, and the other ball does no injury to the lad struck. 

Black Baby. 

A much noisier and more active game is that of Black 
Baby. It is a game of ball and can only be played in such 
parts of the city as still possess bare earth, level and soft 
enough for the series of shallow holes necessar)^ for the 
game. 

There must be a hole for each player, and a common, 
hollow India-rubber ball or a soft yarn ball covered with 
leather. On no account use a hard ball, as the game is too 
rough for the use of a missile that can do injury when 
thrown with force. 



Games of Ball 



347 



First, with your heel make a number of holes about 
three feet apart and all in a line, one hole for each boy in 
the game. When there is a shallow hole for each boy let 
every boy stand by and guard his particular hollow, while 
the boy at one end attempts to roll the ball slowly over the 
line of the holes, so that it will rest in the hole at the ex- 
treme end in front of the lad at the opposite end. In case 
the ball passes safely over, the player at the other end rolls 
it back again in the same manner. 




Fig. 281. — Game of Black Baby. 

This cannot go on long before the ball stops in one of 
the holes. As soon as this happens all the players except 
the one at the hole where the ball stops scamper away for 
dear life, shouting, " Black baby ! Black baby ! " while the 
remaining lad seizes the ball as quickly as possible and 
throws it (a New York boy would say " fires it ") with 
might and main at his nearest playmate. If he fails to hit 
the fleeing mark all return to their places, and a little piece 
of coal, a "black baby," is put in the hole lately occupied by 
the ball ; but if he strikes the mark, the boy hit must quickly 



34^ Summer 

pick up the ball and throw it at his nearest playmate, and a 
game of " crackabout " ensues until someone makes a miss. 
As soon as this occurs all return to their places, and the 
failure is marked by a " black baby " placed in the hole 
belonging to the lad who failed, and the game of rolling the 
ball is continued by the boys at the end holes. As soon as 
a boy receives two " black babies " he is called " black baby 
half whitewashed." 

The game goes on until some one player receives three 
" black babies." As soon as this occurs the culprit takes the 
ball, retires to a wall, fence, or tree, and with his left hand 
and right foot resting against the tree, wall, or fence, which 
he must face, he throws the ball over his shoulder as far as 
he can. The spot where it strikes the ground is marked by 
the other boys with a taw line, and from this line each 
player in turn has the privilege of throwing the ball at the 
unfortunate owner of three '' black babies," who stands with 
his back bent and his head resting against the wall. 

This may appear hard on the unlucky " black baby " 
boy, but — and here is the chance for which he is watching 
— every miss entitles the " black baby " to a throw at the 
bad marksman. After each thrower has had three shots at 
the culprit then the misses are called, and each in turn 
takes his place at the stake and receives his punishment 
until all debts are paid. 

One game will give to a crowd of boys sufficient ex- 
ercise and harmless fun to occupy the time between the 
close of school and tea-time. Then home you go, glowing 
with health and good nature, to wash and dress for the 
evening meal. 

Roily Poly 
is only another name for Black Baby or Nigger Baby, and 
is played in the same manner. 



Games of Ball 349 



Hat Ball 

is a variation of the same game, the difference being that in 
place of holes in the ground each player places his hat on 
the sidewalk or play-ground in the same order in which 
the holes in the other game are arranged. Of course it is 
evident that the ball cannot be rolled into the hats, and the 
boy who has the ball tosses it in one of the hats. All the 
boys scatter except the one whose hat contains the ball. 
Five "babies" put a boy out and condemn him to the 
penalty prescribed in Black Baby. 



CHAPTER XXX 

MUMBLY PEG, HOP-SCOTCH, AND JACK 
STONES 

The Motions of Stick-knife — Universality of the Game of Hop-Scotch 
— As Played i:i Different Countries — Different Games with Jack 
Stones. 

A Summer's day, a shady nook, a close-cropped green 
sod, two or three boys, and a jack-knife are the things 
necessary for a quiet game of Mumbly Peg. 

The first player takes the knife and goes through as 
much of the game as he can without a blunder. The 
second follows in turn, doing the same. The last one to 
perform all of the difficult feats is beaten, and must pull a 
peg, two inches long, from the ground with his teeth. The 
winner drives the peg with the knife-handle for a hammer, 
being allowed, by the rules of the game, three blows with 
his eyes open, and three with his eyes closed. 

This usually drives the peg out of sight in the sod, and 
in that case the boys cry : 

"Root! Root!" 

as the defeated player, unaided by aught but his teeth, 
literally roots, until, with a dirty face and a broad grin, he 
lifts his head, showing the peg between his teeth. From 
the penalt}^ that the loser pays comes the name of 
Mumbly or Mumbelty-Peg. 



Mumbly Peg, Hop-Scotch, yack Sto7ies 351 



The Feats 

are these : 

First. — Hold the right fist with back to the ground and 
with the jack-knife, with blade pointing to the right, resting 
on top of the closed fingers (Fig. 282). The hand is swung 
to the right, up and over, describing a semicircle, so that 
the knife falls point downward and sticks, or should stick, 
upright in the ground (Fig. 283). If there is room to slip 
two fingers, one above the other, beneath the handle of the 



pvoixf View 



Top Vte.w 




Fig. 282. 



Fig. 283. 



Figs. 282, 283.— First Feat. 




Fig 



Third Feat. 



knife and if the point of the knife is hidden in the ground, 
it counts as a fair stick or throw. 

Second. — The next motion is the same as the one just 
described, but is performed with the left hand. 

Third. — Take the point of the blade between the first 
and second fingers of the right hand, and fillip it with a 
jerk so that the knife turns once around in the air and 
strikes the point into the ground (Fig. 284). 

Fourth. — Do the same with the left hand. 



352 



Summer 



Fifth. — Hold the knife as in the third and fourth 
positions, and bring the arm across the chest so that the 
knife-handle touches the left ear. Take hold of the right 
ear with the left hand and fillip the knife so that it turns 
once or twice in the air and strikes on its point in the 
earth (Fig. 285). 

Sixth. — Do the same with the left hand. 

Sevtnth. — Still holding the knife in the same manner, 




Fig. 286.— Seventh Feat. 

bring the handle up to the nose and fillip it over through 
the air, so that it will stick in the ground (Fig. 286). 

Eighth. — Do the same with the handle at the right eye. 

Ninth. — Repeat, with the handle at the left eye. 

Tenth. — Place the point of the blade on top of the head. 
Hold it in place with the forefinger, and with downward 
push send it whirling down to the earth, where it must 
stick with the point of blade in the earth (Fig. 287). 

Eleventh to Fifteenth. — Hold the left hand with the fin- 
gers pointing up, and, beginning with the thumb, place the 
point of the knife on each finger as described above, and 



Mmnbly Peg, Hop-Scotch, yack Stones 353 




Fig. 287.— Tenth Feat. 

and the. forefinger of 
Twenty-first, Tivcnty 
Tiven ty-tJi ird. — 
Hold the point of 
the blade between 
the first and sec- ,' 
ond fingers and, 
placing the hand 
on the forehead, 
fillip the knife 
back over the 
head, so that it 
will stick in the 
ground behind 
the player ready 
for the next mo- 
tion (Fig. 289; 
dotted lines show 

flight of knife). 

23 



the forefinger of the 
right hand on the 
end of the knife- 
handle. By a down- 
ward motion, throw 
the knife revolving 
through the air, so 
that it will alight 
with the point of the 
blade in the sod (Fig. 
288). 

Sixteenth to Tzven- 
tictli. — Repeat, with 
the right hand up 
the left hand on the 




Fig. 288. — Elev- 
enth Feat. 

knife-handle. 



-second. — Do the same from each knee. 




Fig. 289.— Twenty-third Feat. 



354 Summer 

Twenty-foiirtJi. — After twenty-three the knife is left in the 
ground. Then with the pahii of the hand strike the knife- 
handle a smart blow that will send it revolving over the 
ground for a yard, more or less, and cause it to stick in 
the ground where it stops. This is called " ploughing the 
field " (Fig. 290; dotted lines show flight of knife). 




Fig. 290. — Ploughing the P'ield. 

When a miss is made the next player takes his turn, 
and when the first player's turn comes again he must try 
the feat over that he failed to perform last. A good 
player will sometimes go through almost all the twenty- 
four motions without failing to make a " two-finger" — that 
is, a fair stick, each time ; but it is very unusual for anyone 
to run the game out in one inning. This is the game in 
twenty-four motions ; man}^ boys play it with double that 
number. 

Hop-Scotch. 

One would suppose that where thousands of children 
are every year killed by wild beasts and poisonous snakes, 
and where boys and girls are compelled to marry like 
grown-up people, the boys would be so busy fighting 
tigers, killing snakes, and attending weddings that they 
would find no time in which to play. But in India, where 
all these things take place, such is not the case. The 
games the young East Indians play are perhaps as numer- 
ous as those in vogue in America, and many of them are 



Mumbly Peg, Hop-Scotch, yack Stories 355 

the same. Often the little natives may be seen hopping 
around on one brown, bare foot regardless of snakes — in- 
tent upon the game of hop-scotch. 

From far Hindoostan, all the way across the map of 
Europe and Great Britain, in ever}^ town, chalked on the 
sidewalk or scratched on the ground, may be found 
the boys' hop-scotch courts. Not content with crossing 
the English Channel, this popular game has traversed the 
wide Atlantic and spread all over the United States, and it 
is onl}^ a matter of time when, by the way of California 
and the Pacific Islands, it will reach Japan and China. The 
whole world will then be encircled with a chain of hop- 
scotch courts, and who will dare to say that it is not a pop- 
ular game ? 

The Hop-Scotch Court 

is drawn with chalk or a soft brick on the stone flags of a 
sidewalk, or is scratched with a stick on a piece of hard, 
level ground. It is about twenty feet long and five or six 
feet wide. Figs. 291, 292, and 293 show some English 
courts, and Fig. 294 shows an American court. Fig. 295 
is a modification of the American court made so that the 
flags of the pavement make the courts and only require a 
few cross lines and numbering. 

A taw line is drawn a short distance from the court. In 
England the last division or sub-court at the top of the main 
court is called "cat's cradle" or "plum pudding;" in Italy, 
the "bell;" in New York, the "pot," and in Austria, the 
"temple." 

The little Italian boys give a religious significance 
to the game by calling the last three divisions Infernal 
Regions, Purgatory, and Paradise; and it must be very 
encouraging to them, because if they play long enough thej 
are sure to reach Paradise. 



35^ 



Stimmer 



The Potsherd. 

Originally a broken piece of crockery, a shell, or a small 
flat stone was used for the potsherd to play with, but now a 
bit of old tin folded and refolded, and hammered flat with 
a hammer, brick, or any other heavy object, is the favorite 
potsherd, though a piece of brick or a stone is often used. 



y^ PLU 


ivi 


PUDDirNK^^s. 


10 


1 1 




9 




^^^ 


7 

X 

5 


C^ 


4 


2 


3 


1 




Fig. 291. — An English Court with Eleven 
Subdivisions and a Plum Pudding. 



Fig. 292. — The Six Divisioned English 
Court with Cradle. 



Mumbly Peg, Hop-Scotch, fack Stones 357 




7 




Fig. 293. — The Simplest English Court 
with Cat's Cradle. 



Fig. 294. — A Typical American Court with 
Ten Subdivisions. 



The Game. 

After deciding who shall be first, second, etc., the player 
stands at taw and tosses the potsherd into division number 
one (Fig. 294). Hopping on one foot over the line into 
number one and still keeping one foot raised, he makes a 
hop-kick with the other and sends the potsherd out of the 



358 



Summer 



court. Whenever he fails to do so the next player takes a 

turn. 

After kicking out of number one the pla_yer returns to 

taw and tosses the tin into number two. Then he "jumps a 

straddle," that is, he jumps 
so as to straddle the division 
line between number one 
and number two, with one 
foot in each of these divi- 
sions of the court, and with- 
out lifting up either foot he 
makes a sliding kick, send- 
ing the tin into number one. 
Then hopping into that di- 
vision he makes another 
hop-kick, sending the pot- 
sherd out. 

In this manner all the 
divisions are played, with a 
straddle jump over the di- 
viding lines at four and 
five and eight and nine, 
the player always going 
through the lower divisions 
as he came, with a hop or a 
straddle. At ten, after hop- 
ping three times around in 
the " pot," he strikes the 
potsherd with his toe and 
sends it through all the di- 
visions toward the taw line, 

clear of the court, returning with hops and straddles the 

wa)' he came. 



"P OT 

CD 




4 


5 


3 


1 


2. 



Fig. 295. 



-An American Court Adapted to 
Stones of Sidewalk. 



Mtiinbly Peg, Hop-Scotch, yack Stones 359 

Sometimes at seven and ten he is required, while still 
standing on one foot, to pick up the potsherd, place it on 
the top of his ground foot, and then with a hop-kick throw 
it toward taw, clear of the court. Or with an upward 
jerk he may send the potsherd up in the air, catch it with 
his hands, replace it in the court, and kick it out without 
touching his foot to the ground. After doing the " pot," 
"plum pudding," " cat's cradle," or paradise, he goes back- 
ward through all the divisions to number one, and the 
game is finished. 

In Fig. 293, with four divisions and a cradle, there are no 
straddles. In Fig. 292, with six divisions and a cradle, there 
are no straddles, but in Fig. 291, with eleven divisions and 
a plum pudding, there is a straddle at two and three, eight 
and six, ten and eleven, and a " pick up and kick," as 
described above, at four and nine and the plum pudding. 
In the American game (Fig. 295) there is a straddle at one 
and two, a single at three, a straddle at four and five, a 
single at six, a straddle at seven and eight, and a single at 
nine. When the potsherd is pitched into ten, the player 
hops into one, straddles into one and two, hops into three, 
hops into four, straddles into four and five, hops into six, 
straddles into seven and eight, hops into nine, hops into the 
space surrounding the small pot ten, and then, without 
putting his foot to the ground, hops three times around 
the centre pot and into it. 

If he is successful so far, he kicks the potsherd toward 
taw out of the court, and returns the way he came. 

If there is any one who looks with contempt upon this 
game, thinking it a simple baby play, let him attempt this 
last feat and ever afterward he will consider Hop-scotch a 
sport in which it requires no small amount of skill to suc- 
ceed. 



360 Summer 



Grounds Out. 

When the player touches his foot or hand to the 
ground it is called " grounds," and he is out. 

When a player pitches the potsherd in the wrong divi- 
sion or on a line, he is out. 

When he kicks it into the wrong division or on a line, 
he is out ; and in each case the next in turn plays from taw, 
and the other players, when their turns come around again, 
begin at the division they failed in. 

Hop-Scotch on Stilts. 

If any one of my readers wishes to try a game that will 
test his athletic skill, let him try hop-scotch on the simplest 
English court (Fig. 293) with a pair of " gadabouts," such 
as are described in Chapter VIII., strapped to his legs, and 
he will find it no simple game. 

Jack Stones. 

This is another game that was old when Greek civiliza- 
tion was young. " Chuckle stanes," " chuck stones," " five 
stones," and " knuckle-bones," are some of the names by 
which the game has been known. Knuckle-bones were in 
favor for use in this game two thousand years ago and are 
still used. White, water-washed pebbles ; crockery stilts, 
which are little three-legged bits of earthenware upon 
which china and earthenware are placed when firing ; iron 
stilts, made in imitation of the crockery ones ; " lucky 
stones," which are bones from the inside of the head of the 
fresh-water fish called sheepsheads ; and marbles, are all 
used in this country for jacks. But perhaps the best are 
the earthenware stilts with an agate (marble) for the jack. 



Mumbly Peg, Hop-Scotch, y ack Stones 361 



Jack is the name given to the 
stone which is thrown up 
while the different feats are 
performed. 

First Jack. 

The game opens with one 
player taking the five stones 
in his hand. Holding the 
hand, palm up (Fig. 296), he 
tosses them into the air (Fig. 
297). Before the stones have 
time to descend the player 
turns his hand over and 
catches as many as he can on 
the back of the hand (Fig. 
298). These, he again tosses 
up (Fig. 299), and before they 
descend he picks up those 
jacks that he failed to catch 
on the back of his hand (Fig. 
300). Quickly turning the 
hand he catches the descend- 
ing jacks, and now holds all 
five in his fist (Fig. 301). 

Whenever a player fails the 
next in turn takes the jacks. 
After successfully catching 
the jacks on the back of the 
hand, or picking up all that 
fell off, the player does the 
second feat, called 



Fig. 296. 



Fig. 297 



Fig. 2< 



Fig. 299, 



Fig. 




Fig. 301 



Fig. 302. .^^^m 



362 Summer 



Ones. 

First rolling the stones from his hand on to the ground, 
he throws his Jack up, and before it falls, picks up a stone. 
Again tossing up Jack he picks up another, continuing 
until all are successfully picked up from the ground. The 
next play is called 

Twos. 

Again rolling the stones on the earth and tossing Jack 
aloft, the player picks up two stones at a time, and, sending 
Jack up again he picks up the remaining two. This same 
process is repeated in 

Threes ; 

but in this play one is picked up first and three at the next 
toss, or three first and one afterward. 

Fours. 

x\ll four stones must be picked up while Jack is in the 
air. 

Drive the Horses in their Stalls. 

Roll the stones from the hand on to the ground, and 
place the left hand with fingers spread apart on the ground 
near the jack stones. Toss Jack aloft, and before he comes 
down, drive one of the stones between the outspread first 
and second fingers. This is called putting the horse in the 
stable or stall. Do the same with all the other stones. 
Then in succession 

Drive the Horses Out of their Stalls. 

Toss Jack up, and while he is in the air fillip one horse 
out. Repeat the action with all the others, then bunch 
them together and pick up all four, and catch Jack as he 
descends. 



Mmnbly Peg, Hop- Scotch, y ack Stones 363 



Jumping the Hurdles. 

Place the four horses (jack stones) in a line. Then toss 
Jack up, and before he comes down, pick up the first and 
third stones together and catch Jack as he comes down. 
The second and fourth are next caught up together and 
Jack is caught as he falls. 

Base-ball. 

Four of the Jacks are placed to represent the four bases 
on the base-ball field. Jack is sent aloft and the jack stone 
at home base is picked up and deposited at first base and 
Jack is caught as he falls. Jack is again tossed up, and the 
second base is run in the same manner, and then the third, 
and then the home base. 

Now the first-base man is picked up and set down at the 
second, then the first and second are picked up together 
and set down at third, then the first, second, and third are 
all taken up at one time and set down at home base. Then 
as Jack is again tossed up all four are taken up at the same 
time and Jack is caught before he reaches the ground. 

Cats in the Well. 

The Jacks are rolled from the hand on to the ground ; 
these are the cats. Then the left hand of the player is placed 
near them with the fist lightly closed, the thumb and first fin- 
ger forming the opening to the well. Jack is now thrown 
up, and while he is in the air, one of the four cats on the 
ground is picked up and put in the well. The same oper- 
ation is repeated with the second, third, and fourth cat, until 
all have been drowned in the well. The left hand is now 
taken away and the dead cats are left in a bunch. Jack is 



364 Summer 

tossed up and all four of the cats are picked up before Jack 
comes down. 

Sending the People to Church. 

Again the stones are spilled upon the ground. This 
time they have changed from dead cats to well-dressed 
people, but people who need urging before they will go to 
church. The left hand is placed with fingers crooked and 
spread apart. The ends of the fingers resting on the 
ground form the bases to the arched doorwa3^s of the 
church, while the hollowed palm forms the ceiling and 
the back of the hand the roof. 

Jack is now sent up and one of the Sunday idlers is 
driven through one of the five doorways into the church. 
One at a time, all four are sent to church. Then all four 
are gathered up while Jack is above, and Jack joins them 
when he is caught as he returns to earth. 

When girls play Jack-stones they use a pretty marble 
for Jack, select a stone step to play upon, and allow Jack 
to strike the step and catch him on the rebound. They 
also have a number of feats generally ignored by the 
boys. This being a boys' book, these feats, such as "peas 
in a pod," "setting the table," "doves in a cot," "spin- 
ning the plate," "knock at the door," "pick up a pin," 
"light a match," "washing the clothes," will be left for 
books written for ofirls. 



CHAPTER XXXI 
PRACTICAL HINTS FOR BICYCLISTS 

Regarding Baggage and how to Carry it — A Photographer's Outfit on a 
Wheel — A Collector's Box — How to Deal with Punctures — An Ex- 
temporized Handle Bar — A Rope Tire — A Cleaning Rack, and a 
Bicycle Stand. 

There is only one way to learn to ride a bicycle, and 
that is, to straddle a wheel and try ; but there are thou- 
sands of practical and useful things to learn after you are 
able to ride. Every boy knows how to strap his coat on 
the handle bars, and most of them can carry various parcels, 
but there are some articles of 

Baggage 

that need special care. It is customary in ordinary wheel- 
ing to strip a machine of every ounce of weight not abso- 
lutely necessary. Many riders travel without even a tool- 
bag, pump, or wrench. This is absurd, for the additional 
weight of a few tools cannot possibly be sufficient to make 
any appreciable difference to an ordinary road-rider. 

Of course, if you are a "scorcher," and are out to pass 
everything you meet on the road, the less weight you carry 
the better time you can make. But the wheel is used by 
most boys for other purposes. In Flushing, Long Island, 
it is no uncommon thing to see one of the local colony of 
artists wheeling merrily along with sketching easel and 
umbrella strapped to his handle-bars, and paint-box and 



366 



Summer 



canvas swung in the frame beneath him. Nor is it an 
uncommon sight, in the spring, to see the trout fishermen, 
men and boys, passing by on their bicycles with their 
jointed fishing-rods strapped to their handle bars and their 
creels on their backs. 

This suggests a variet}^ of uses that boys may make of 
their wheels. 



How to Carry Photographic Outfit on a Wheel. 

The top diagram shows the arrangement of straps on Mr. 
Hemment's camera. Fig. 303. This gentleman is the official 

Fig. 303. 




Fig. 304. 

Photographic Outfit. 



Fig. 305. 



photographer for Leslie s Weekly, and carries his eight-by- 
ten camera and five-feet tripod on his wheel. The tripod is 
strapped to the handle-bars and the camera is strapped on 
in front, as shown in Fig. 304, side view, and Fig. 305, front 
view of the same. The straps allow a certain amount of 
movement, which is necessary for safety. If the camera is 



Practical Hmts for Bicyclists 367 

fastened too tightly to the machine the constant jarring of 
the bicycle will be more than likely to result in injury to the 
plates or other apparatus. 

But all boys are not photographers. Some are fish- 
ermen and need only to strap their rods to their handle- 




FiG. 306. — Bicycle Stand and Naturalist Outfit. 

bars. Most of them are great collectors of something, and 
many are interested in making cabinets of beetles, butter- 
flies, and moths ; or in collecting various small creatures, 
such as toads, frogs, snails, and even snakes. These boys 
will be glad to know 

How to Rig the American Boy Naturalist's Wheel. 

The drawing, Fig. 306, it will be seen, shows a wheel 
loaded with bags for tools, bottles, boxes, lunch, and vari- 
ous knick-knacks essential to the outfit of a naturalist 
collector. Cut paper patterns for the different boxes, so 
that they will fit the particular machine for which they are 
designed. Make the boxes of stiff pasteboard. Divide the 
largest box or bag into as many subdivisions as will best 
meet your requirements. Make the compartments of paste- 



368 Sttmmer 

board, and keep them in place by pasting cloth along the 
edges on both sides. 

After all the divisions are made, line the whole inside of 
the box with cloth and sew it in neatly, turning in all the 
rough edges. Next make a cover of pasteboard and cut a 
door for each compartment. Cover the inside with cloth, 
sewed on neatly. Sew the cover itself to the box. Make 
the doors or lids for the compartments, and make each 
considerably larger than the opening it is to cover. Line 
the inside of each lid with cloth, leaving a flap for a hinge, 
and cover the outside with enamelled cloth. Sew the 
linings to box so that the lids will cover the proper 
openings, and cover the whole outside of the box with 
enamelled cloth. Use an awl or big darning-needle with 
which to punch holes, when you are sewing the paste- 
board. Do not sew the enamel cloth to the box. Cut 
holes to correspond to the various doors, leaving flaps to 
turn in, and sew the flaps to the lining on the inside. 

There is no mystery about the art of sewing a thing of 
this kind. It is not a girl's work, and few of them could do 
it ; but any bov who will take pains can, and a boy who 
will not take pains will never make a collector. 

All that remains to be done now is to 

Add the Straps and Buttons. 

Sew short straps or pieces of tape to the box to fasten it 
by buckling or by tying it to the frame, and small straps on 
the lids with slits in the ends for button-holes. Put some 
round buttons on the box to which you can button the 
straps, thus fastening the lids. The small boxes under the 
seats can be made in the same manner; but, being without 
divisions, they are so simple that they need no further 
explanation. 



Practical Hints for Bicyclists 369 



As to Punctures. 

The dreaded carpet -lack, the lurking horseshoe, with 
rusty nails sticking up like the fangs of a serpent, the 
treacherous broken bottles, and the innocent-looking clam- 
shells, are all mortal enemies of the inflated rubber tires 
and lose no opportunity to stab or cut the rubber and spoil 
the cycler's ride. It is supposed that every rider goes pre- 
pared for such emergencies, but observation teaches that 
many do not, and all should know 

How to Stop a Puncture with Chewing-Gum, 

or any other sticky substance that can be procured. A 
nail or tack hole can be temporarily mended with chewing- 
gum in the following manner: Let all the air out of the 
tire, make a small Avooclen paddle, and with this implement 
poke the gum through the hole from the outside of the tire, 
flatten what is left over the outside and bind on a piece of 
rag or a part of your pocket-handkerchief. Do this neatly. 
Then pump up the tire, and the compressed air on the in- 
side will flatten the wax over the inside of the hole and 
prevent the escape of air, so that you may reach home 
without another application of the pump. 

Not long ago the New York Journal told of a cyclist 
who broke his handle-bar and patched it up so that he was 
able to ride his machine a long distance, reaching home in 
safety. His method is a common-sense one, and all boys 
should know 

How to Rig a Jury Handle-Bar. 

Take two elastic saplings and bind them securely to the 
front fork, as shown in the front view (Fig. 307). Lash a 

stout stick to the handle-bar, holding the broken part in 

24 



370 



Summer 



place. Bind the ends of the fork-sticks securely to this and 
you have a jury bar that, though it may work a little 
stiffly, will enable you to ride home, wdiich, even in a short 
distance, is a much pleasanter ending to a 
ride than walking and leading a crippled 
wheel. 

It sometimes happens that from con- 
tact with the knife-like edge of a piece of 
tin or glass, a slit is cut in the tire, so large 
that it is impracticable to attempt to mend 
it on the road. In such a case 

A Rope Tire 

will often enable the rider to reach home 
without humiliating himself by walking 
and leading his wheel. A few yards of 
clothes-line borrowed, begged, or bought 
from some wayside house, will enable 3"0u 
to make an old-fashioned solid tire. Re- 
move the rubber tire, tie it to your handle- 
bar, and take the rope and bend one end 
diagonally across the hollow in the rim 
of the wheel. Then wind the rope care- 
fully around, over the bent end of the rope, around again 
alongside of the first length until the rim is covered. 
Keep the line tight and wind it until it fills up the hol- 
low and is considerably higher in the middle than at the 
sides. The neater this work is done the more comfortable 
will be your ride home. When the rope tire is complete 
pry up the side lap and force the free end of the rope diag- 
onally under until it comes out on the other side. Draw it 
taut and cut off the end flush with the outer wrapping. 
Now pour water all over the rope until it is thoroughly 




Fig. 307. 



Practical Hints for Bicyclists 



371 



wet, this will cause it to shrink and become firm and 
hard. All that remains to be done is for you to jump on 
your wheel and start for your destination. 

When you reach home after a ride you should always 
clean your wheel. To do this it is best to turn the wheel 
upside down. The work of cleaning is made more pleasant 
if you have a repairing stool. 

How to Make a Cleaning and Repairing Rack. 

It is a simple but most convenient affair, and varies in 
dimensions with the wheel that it is intended to support. 




Fig. 308. 



Fig. 309. 



The first drawing, Fig. 308, shows a side view with the 
wheel upside down, ready to be cleaned ; the second, Fig. 
309, shows the construction of the bench. The front slots 
for the handle bars must be covered with cloth, stuffed 
with cotton ; and the bench in the rear must have a cushion 
made by tacking on a piece of cloth and filling the upper 
part loosely with hair, moss, cotton, or excelsior. 

The only safe way to stable your machine is to have a 
stand of some kind for it, and the most simple stand is the 
best. 



372 



Summer 



How to Make a Bicycle Stand. 

Select a good straight-grained piece of plank, of any 
kind of wood, an inch and one-half or two inches thick, and 
twelve or fourteen inches wide. Saw off a piece eighteen 
inches long for the base of your stand. Saw out a slit 
in the middle of the stand nine inches long and a trifle 
wider than the tire of your wheel. With your pocket- 




FiG. 310. 



Fig. 311. 



knife, or chisel, round off the sharp edges of the slit, and 
cut a slot from the bottom of the plank, at the end of the 
slit, to the top. Round this out so that it will fit loosely to 
a wheel pushed in the slit. At the end of this hollow bore 
two holes, about a quarter of an inch in diameter, to hold 
a stiff wire which is bent over in a loop to receive the tire 
of the wheel (Fig. 306). This wire can be taken out and the 
board set up against the wall when it is not in use, or both 
may be hung up in the hall closet, out of the way. When 
you wish to stable your wheel take down the base, set it on 
the floor, put the wire in place, and back your wheel in the 



Practical Hints for Bicyclists 373 

slot until the rear tire is held by the wire loop. This will 
keep the wheel upright, with no danger of its being 
knocked over. 

The last two diagrams, Figs. 310 and 311, show how to 
decorate a wheel for 

A Night Parade- 

The illustrations are made IVom the two wheels which took 
the first and second prize in a parade. The first. Fig, 310, 
was simply a very large Japanese umbrella, with Japanese 
lanterns suspended from the ribs. The lanterns illuminated 
the whole umbrella, which, when seen at a distance, had 
the appearance of a large colored balloon. The second, 
Fig. 311, was rather sparsely decorated with lanterns, but 
plentifully supplied with streamers of all colors, which the 
light from the lanterns brought out in brilliant effect. In 
appearance the rider was sailing in a boat. 



CHAPTER XXXII 



POINTS ON CAMPING OUT 



How to Make a Fire in the Woods on a Rainy Day — To get a Light 
Without Matches— The Diamond Hitch, and a Home-made Cinch. 

" Lafe, I can't make a fire ; we have no paper and the 
wood's all wet." 

Lafe is a Pike County backwoodsman. Fie only smiled ; 
then shouldering his axe he walked over to a moss-covered 
log that lay on the ground as sog- 
gy and wet as a sponge in the 
water. With a few blows from 
the butt end of his axe he knocked 
out of the rotten wood the rem- 
nants of what were once the noble 
limbs of a giant pine-tree. These 
remnants were now nothing more 
than spike-shaped clubs, the larg- 
est not over two feet long. 

" Here's what v/e use in the 
woods for paper," said Lafe. 

Upon examination, we discov- 
ered that the spike-shaped clubs 
were almost as heavy as lead, but 
it was not water that gave them 
weight; it was the sap of the tree, 
the pitch, that colored them a rich red and made them hard 




Fig. 312. — The Fire Won't Burn. 




378 Auttmin 

and impervious to rain, Lafe pulled out his one-bladed jack- 
knife and began to whittle the pine stick, but he allowed no 
shavings to become detached (Fig. 313). When he had three 

cut in the manner shown in the ac- 
companying drawing (Fig. 314), he 
set them up on the ground, with the 
small ends down and the bijj ends 
^ resting against each other, placed as 
the sticks are that form the frame of 
an Indian wigwam. He touched a 
Fig. 313. —A Fig. 314.— lighted match to the shavings, and 
KnotV ^'"^ Fire!'"° ""^ immeidatelv a flame burst forth with 
a black smoke. Selecting some 
sticks he had previously split in halves, he piled them 
around the blazing pine-knots in a conical wigwam fashion, 
and soon we had a fire that was hot enough to ignite the 
wet, unsplit wood we gathered. 

Building a Fire Without Matches. 

After the coffee was boiled and the fish fried and the 
boys' clothes partially dried, they made haste to ply Lafe 
Avith questions. 

" How would 3'ou build a fire, if your matches were wet, 
or if you had none?" asked Tom. 

" I generally calculate to keep my matches dry and 
always keep some about me," answered the woodsman ; " but 
in case, as you say, I had none, Fd put a light charge of 
powder in my gun and a loose wad of cotton rag and shoot 
in the air, and then double the red-hot ashes of the rag up 
and blow on it until it flamed up. 

" Or, if I find that I am running out of matches, I take 
a piece of cotton cloth and dry it at the fire, heating it until 



Points on Camping Out 



379 



it is almost charred ; then I dampen the rag and rub gun- 
powder into its fibres as hard as I can until I can rub no 
more powder in. After that I dry the rag thoroughly 
again and put it in a bottle, tin box, 'or horn, cork it up 
tight and keep it until I need it. With the back of my 
knife-blade for a steel and a piece of flint, I strike a spark 
that sets the rag a-burning and fold the glowing rag up, 
cover it with shavings, twisted straw or punk, and blow it 
into a flame." 



Things Worth Remembering. 

" Tamarack is a very good wood, 
If you can get it dry, 
But to make a fire of green tamarack, 
I'll be a fool to try." 



forget that 



An Indian builds a small camp- 
fire and hugs it, a white man makes 
a roaring big fire 
and stands awa}^ 
from it. 

In selecting a 
camping-place never 
the presence of good firewood 
in abundance is a matter of grave 
importance. A standing dead ce- 
dar will furnish the best of kind- 
ling wood. Green, soft woods, 
spruce, and white birch, burn 
badly and are difficult to ignite. 

To build a fire that will burn 
all night, select a couple of good 
heavy sticks for andirons, and a 




Fig. 315. — A Camper. 



38o 



Afthirnn 



quantity of green hardwood, maple, 37ello\v birch, or beech, 
for fuel. Across the andirons lay all the fuel sticks in 
the same direction parallel with each other; in this 
position the}^ will burn slowly and smoulder for a long 
time. A large tree, or, better still, a large rock at the back 
of your fire will retain and reflect the heat. 




Fig. 316. — The Author's Camp at Big Tink, Pike County, Penn. 



x\lways select a well-drained spot, or a slight elevation 
for a place to pitch your tent or build your shack ; this will 
prevent an exceedingly disagreeable experience of awaken- 
ing during a rain-storm to find your tent, floor, and blankets 
soaked with water. The presence of a neighboring spring, 
or other water-supply for drinking and cooking, of course, 
must not be overlooked. 



Points on Camping Out 381 

Never pitch your tent in a hollow or depression, or you 
may find yourself in the middle of a pond. Soldiers always 
dig a ditch around their tents. The floor, which is often 
your bed, can be covered with straw, if straw is obtainable ; 
if not, fir-boughs ; these lie flatter than spruce. It is best 
to lay the foundation of good-sized branches, cover them 
with smaller ones, and over all place a deep layer of fir- 
twigs broken off the length of your hand, and laid shingle- 
fashion, commencing at the foot of your bed, or the door- 
way of your shack or tent, each succeeding row of boughs 
covering the thick ends of the previous row. A properly 
made bough-bed is as comfortable as a mattress, but one in 
which the ends of the sticks prod your ribs all night is not 
a couch that tends to make a comfortable night's rest. 

Candles, lamps, and lanterns add to the luggage of a 
camper, and may be dispensed with, yet it often happens that 
you will need a light at night. If you do, remember that 
almost any sort of fat or grease will burn. I have made a 
passable lamp of an old clam-shell filled with melted rancid 
butter and a twisted rag for a wick resting in the butter, 
and I have seen most dainty little candles moulded in wil- 
low bark of tallow from the deer, with a wick of the inside 
bark of a cedar-tree. But such things are only made by 
guides for ladies, or as souvenirs to take home. A torch 
will answer all needs of camp life. 

A Birch-bark Torch. 

Peel off several strips of birch bark, four or five inches 
wide ; double and fold them two or three times if the pieces 
are long. 

Split one end of a stick for a torch-handle and slip one 
or more of the doubled strips into the end of the stick. 
The Northern Indian always keeps a lot of neatly folded 



382 



Atitunm 



bunches of birch bark, tied with cedar-bark rope, on hand 
for use as torches in spearing fish at night. 

Remove the outside bark of a cedar-tree, and then from 
the bottom up strip off the fine inner bark, and from these 
fibres twist what ropes or strings you need around camp. 




Fig. 317. — Supper at Camp. 

Keep your feet dry ; that is, keep them dry while in 
camp. To do this take an abundant suppl}^ of old socks 
with you and two pairs of shoes — one pair for dry shoes 
and an old pair for wet ones. With an old pair of trousers 
and some leaky shoes you may wade a trout stream and 
stand in the water for hours without suffering any ill effects 
if you are prompt in removing the wet clothes and re- 



Points on Camping Out 383 

placing them with dry shoes, socks, ancj trousers as soon 
as you leave the water. Experience has taught many 
sportsmen that this method is far more comfortable and 
healthful than wearing expensive hot and clumsy rubber 
boots. 

I was never lost in the woods, but once. I remember 
that I had read in books that the moss grew thickest on the 
north side of the trees. Upon careful examination I could 
distinguish no difference between the moss on one side of the 
trees and that on the other side ; the moss grew all around! 
The thick interlacing branches overhead concealed the sun. 
After wandering around in a circle for hours I at last heard 
the rushing of water, and, following the sound, soon dis- 
covered the brook I had been fishing, down which 1 waded 
until I struck camp at 4 P.M., having left there at 4 A.M. 
I was wet, cold, and hungry, but otherwise all right. 

An Indian in starting out always carefully notes the 
direction of the wind. Where the sky is not obscured the 
sun and stars serve as guides, but the safest way is to blaze 
trees as you go (mark them with )^our hatchet), or every 
now and then break a twig or branch, bending the broken 
end in the direction you are pursuing, thus making a trail 
that is easily retraced. Streams always flow toward greater 
bodies of water, and somewhere along these water roads, 
farm.s or settlements are located ; so if you are really lost, 
follow the first stream until it leads you, as it invariably 
will, to some road, settlement, or camp. 

While the trapper, scout, and guide, can sleep peacefully 
wrapped in a blanket with his feet to the fire, it takes a 
green city boy some time to accustom himself to the katy- 
dids, " pinching bugs," and various other harmless but 
more or less annoying small creatures of the wood. If the 
"tender foot" will get his mother to make him 



3B4 



AMtwnn 



A Sleeping Bag 

of an old blanket, he can creep into it at night and cover 
his head with a bit of mosquito-netting and sleep as soundly 
as his guide, with no fear of insects or other small creatures 
interrupting his slumber. 

If you have a pony, horse, or mule for a pack animal, it 
greatly facilitates the transportation of camping material, 
and furnishes you with many more conveniences, such as 
additional cooking utensils and extra clothes. All campers 
travelling with pack animals owe a debt of gratitude to an 
old Spanish muleteer who many, many years ago invented 

The Famous Diamond Hitch. 

As the boys' counting-out rhymes are told by one boy 
to another, so one muleteer told his fellows until it reached 

Mexico, was learned by the 
hardy prospectors and trap- 
pers, and from some one of 
them. Captain A. E. Wood, 
of the Fourth United States 
Cavalry, discovered the 
trick in 1879 "^^^ taught it 
to his men ; and my cousin, 
a civil engineer, who has 
spent much of his time in 
the Wild West, learned the Diamond Hitch and taught it 
to me. 

The Aparejo. 

The pack-saddle of the Mexicans is called an aparejo,* 
and is used in preference to the old saw-buck saddle. It is 




Fig. 318.— Plan of the Diamond Hitch. 



* As pronounced it would be spelled Ah-pahr-ai-ho in English. 



Points on Camping Out 385 

made of a leather bag attached to a very, broad leather 
breeching. Inside is a slight springy framework of wil- 
low, and the space between is filled with straw. 

Of course such a saddle is not to be found east of the 
Mississippi River ; but one can easily be made of canvas, 
which in many respects is better than leather and is not so 
easily damaged by water. This saddle must be stiff at the 
bottom edges and corners, where considerable strain comes 
when the pack-rope is bound on. Before placing the saddle 
on your pack-horse, fold a blanket neatly on the animal's 
back and secure it with a wide girth. This will prevent 
the pack-horse's back from being rubbed and becoming 
sore. 

For two whole days I worked with a rope to try and 
learn the diamond hitch, and though I had a printed and 
illustrated account which claimed to disclose the secret of 
this far-famed hitch, I might still be working at the prob- 
lem had not my cousin, Wolcott LeClear Beard, chanced 
to come in. He showed me that on account of the lack of 
familiarity with the terms used, the writer and proof-reader 
had so mixed up things that no one could follow the de- 
scription and throw the hitch. Taking a rope in his hand 
Mr. Beard then showed 

How the Trick is Done. 

First, you need one short quarter-inch rope for a " sling 
rope " to hold the baggage in place while throwing the 
diamond hitch. 

There must be two boys to do the packing. The boy 
on the near, nigh, or left-hand side of the pony or donkey, 
takes in his left hand the two ends of the sling-rope, and 
with his right hand throws the loop or " bight " of the rope 
across the pony's back and leaves it hanging there. The 



386 



Atttumn 



boys now lift two bags or parcels and place them length- 
wise, one on each side of the animal's back-bone. 

The loop is now passed up and over the pack on the far, 
" off," or right-hand side. The loose end of the sling-rope 
nearest the animal's head, on the near side, is now passed 
up and over the near pack through the loop, brought down 
and tied in a square knot to the other end of the sling rope. 
The two packs are thus temporarily fastened to the animal's 
back and we are ready 

To Throw the Diamond Hitch. 

The cinch is the band that goes under the horse's belly. 
In the West it is made of a number of parallel strings of 
horse-hair rope. A first-rate substitute can be made from 
the grass rope of a hammock ; but a broad canvas or web- 
bing band will answer our purposes. 

The cinch must have an iron ring on one end and an iron 
hook on the other (Figs. 318 and 326). Pass the cinch under 
the horse's belly, bringing the ring to which the pack rope 

is attached on the 
near side. The 
packer on the near 
side must throw 
the line to his 
companion on the 
far side, who pass- 
es it through the 
hook and throws 
it back so that it 
lies forward of the 
portion previous- 
ly passed over. 
Fig. 319. The near pack- 




Points on Camping Out 



387 




Fig. 320. 



er passes the free 
end of the rope 
down and un- 
der the stand- 
ing part (which is 
the part fastened 
to the cinch) 
where it binds on 
the near pack, 
which of course 
brings the free 
end to the rear of 
the standing part. 
Bring the free end forward and diagonally down to the 
front of the saddle and under the front end of the aparejo 
or pack saddle (Figs. 318 and 319). Bring it back un- 
der the standing part and under the rear corner of the 
aparejo. The free end is now thrown over the animal 
to the packer on the far side. The near packer guides the 
line diagonally forward over the packs, and the off packer 
pulls everything tight. In order to hold it the near boy 
grabs the rear corner of the aparejo and the rope under it 
with one hand and " pinches" it over the corner to prevent 
it from slacking, while the far packer passes the free end 
over and under the standing part at the middle of the horse's 
back between the two packs (Figs. 318 and 320). The far 
packer then passes the free end under the rear corner of his 
side of the aparejo and passes it forward under ever)'thing 
to the forward corner of the aparejo. He passes the line 
up over the forward corner of the aparejo and throws the 
free end over and back to the near boy. The near boy 
hauls everything tight while the far packer guides the pack 
rope diagonally back over the packs. 



388 



AtUimin 



The far man now " pinches " the line at the forward 
corner of the aparejo, while the near packer passes the line 
over and under that part of the pack rope which passes 
over the horse's back nearest his head (Fig. 318). He 

brings the free 
end diagonally 
forward and down 
under the forward 
corner of the apa- 
rejo (Figs. 318 and 

321). 

Everything is 
tightened for 
the last time, and 
the free end is 
brought back and 
fastened with a 
single bow-knot 
to the standing 
part at the ring (Fig. 321). The axe, the frying-pan, and 
all such articles are thrust under the ropes (Fig. 321), 
and, if the directions have been properly followed, the lug- 
gage will stick in its place even if the animal rolls over a 
cliff. There was once a mule that tried this, and although 
he fell thirty feet and did considerable damage to his lug- 
gage, he failed to dislodge it, and his pack broke his fall 
and saved his life. 




Fig. 321. 



How to Make Your Own Cinch. 

Procure some thick wire, and if you have no con- 
veniences for iron work, go to the blacksmith shop and 
show the smith how to bend the wire, so as to make the 
ring (Fig. 326 D and Fig. 324). The base should not be less 



Points on Camping Ottt 



;89 



than eight or nine inches. Let him 
make another ring, elongate it and give 
it a twist, as in Fig. 322. Bend it over 
in a hook, as in Fig. 323 ; but, if you 
have a hammer, a hot fire, and an old 
paving stone for an anvil, you can make 
your own hook and ring. 

Now take some hammock string 
and fasten it with a lark's head to the 
ring (A, Fig. 326). Bring the two ends 
over to the base of the hook, around and 
up again, as shown by B in the same 
diagram, and tie in a square knot (Figs. 
122 and 123, page 173). Repeat this, 
with a lark's head first at A, and a knot 
at B, and then with a lark's head at C, 
and a knot at D, until the parallel 
strings fill up the space on the bases 
of the hook and ring. The length of 
the cinch depends upon the size of the 
animal that is to wear it. The ring 
and hook should come just under the 
edge of the pack saddle. Two inches 
on each side of the centre of the cinch 
weave a small piece of twine, and tie the 
ends (Fig. 325). Weave two more 
strings four inches apart near the ring, 
and two more four inches apart near the 
hook. These are for spreaders. All 
that remains to be done is to fasten 
two broad sole- leather pads to your 
cinch, one under the hook and one un- 
der the rinp-. Punch holes with an awl 



Fig. 326. 



Fig. 325. 



\\v 



Fig. 324. 



THE WAV 
-;oilO«N MAKE 
' A CINCH RlNCr 




Fig. 322. Fig. 323. 
Home Made Cinch. 



390 Auhmm 

or a nail in the leather, and bind it with twine on to the 
base of the hook and the ring (Fig. 324). 

The advantage of a horse-hair cinch is that it will not 
slip, and the grass-twine of a hammock makes a first-class 
substitute. My cousin, who, as I have alread}' said, has 
spent much of his time in the land of cow-boys and diamond 
hitches, assures me that the grass-twine cinch possesses all 
the qualities claimed for it. 

Cooking Utensils for Camp. 

The following articles are almost indispensable: A long- 
handled frying-pan, a bunch of half a dozen pieces of tele- 
graph wire, each two feet long, with which to make a 
spider or broiler ; by simply la3'ing them across the fire or 
over the hot coals, you have a gridiron ; 3^ou ma}^ bundle it 
up when its work is done; three or four assorted tin buck- 
ets for cooking purposes and for water ; a tin coffee-pot ; a 
long iron fork ; a long iron spoon ; some cheap tin cups, 
plates, and spoons, and some forks and knives. 

Food. 

If you do not want to go hungry, do not depend upon 
the fish and game you intend to capture for food supply, 
but take along some boneless bacon and fat pork. With 
the latter, 3'ou can cook your fish, and the former is good 
for a relish with whatever fresh meat you may secure. 
Then you should have some good ground coffee in a 
tightl}' closed tin box. Some tea in a screw-top glass pre- 
serve-jar, sugar, salt, prepared fiour, corn meal, rice, beans, 
oat-meal, condensed milk, evaporated cream, crackers, and 
as much canned or dried fruits as you can transport without 
overloading — these are not necessaries, but all of them will 
come handy in camp, and will help out a meal when the 
fish do not bite and the game fails to come and be shot. 



CHAPTER XXXIII 
THE BOYS' BABY BALLISTA 

How to Build this Warlike Engine, and the Fun That Can be Had With 
It — Blow-guns and Their Use — Blow-gun Parachutes — The Lariat, 
How to Make and Throw it. 

In the autumn much fun may be had with a Baby Bal- 
lista, which is constructed in this way : 

From a two-inch plank make a base plank of any size 
that may suit your fancy, say four feet long. Near the front 
end of the baseboard (C, Fig. 327) 
and at equal distances from the 
edge, saw and chisel out two 
notches, four by two inches each. 
These mortises are for the up- 
rights A and B (Fig. 327) to fit in, 
where they must be secured by 
screws or nails. Make A and B 
of two by four inch 
plank. Next select 
a board that is broad 
enough to form the 
spreader D (Fig. 
328). D is simply a 
board a trifle longer 
than C is broad and a little wider than A or B. In each 
end a mortise is cut so that the distance between the edges 




Fig. 327. 



392 



Aittitmn 



of the rectangular notches or mortises is exactly the dis- 
tance between the uprights A and B where they join the 




Fig. 328. 



Fig. 329. 



base, plank C. Fasten D in place near the tops of A and B 
by driving nails above and below. 

Take a piece of good, strong clothes-line and bring the 
ends around the uprights A and B, and tie them securely 
together so that the rope forms a loop which is tight 
enough to support itself. Now from a long, flat piece of 
strong wood make the bat E (Fig. 329), make it a little 
longer than the base-board C. Take a short stick, some- 
what thicker through than the bat-stick E, and with it thrust 
between the sides of the loops of rope, wind the stick over 
and over, twisting the rope G until it is very tight. Now 
carefully slip the end of the bat-stick E into the space 
occupied by the thicker stick you have used as a winder. 



The Boys Baby Ballista 



393 



and remove the short stick, leaving E in place. The spring 
of the rope will force the bat-stick into the position shown 
in Fig. 329, and if the upper end of the bat is pulled down 
and suddenly let go it will strike the stretcher D with a 
resounding whack. 

From an old tomato-can, or any other convenient source, 
secure a piece of tin, which may be flattened out and cut 
into a square. With a nail, make four holes near the 
centre. Next cut four slits in the tin, from the corners of 
the square to four points near the centre of the tin. At the 
long end of the bat-stick (E, Figs. 330 and 331) place the 
piece of tin, near enough to the end of the stick to allow free 
play for a trigger that is fastened on the end of the base- 




FlG. 331. 



board (see Fig. 331). After you have adjusted the tin in its 
proper place, with a pencil thrust through the nail-holes in 
the tin, mark the spots on the back-stick underneath, and 



394 Autumn 

with a gimlet or a hot iron bore four holes at the points 
marked. Then fasten the tin to the bat-stick with a piece of 
wire. Next bend up the edges of the tin, allowing them 
to overlap each other until they form a cup or basin-shaped 
chamber for holding the shells (Figs. 330 and 331). 

The base-board should be fastened to the ground to pre- 
vent the recoil from displacing the ballista at every shot. 
Two screw-eyes are screwed in the base-board. 

The trigger is fastened to the end of the base-plank C. 
To the end of the bat-stick fasten a check-string; allow 
the other end of the string to pass through a screw-eye a 
short distance back of the trigger, thence to a rude cleat 
made by driving two nails slanting into the base-plank (as 
may be seen in Fig. 331), where the end of the string is to be 
made fast to the cleat. 

To the short end of the bat-stick fasten a weight — a sand- 
bag, a flat-iron, a dumb-bell, or anything heav}^, and now 
your ballista is ready for war. But you have no ammuni- 
tion ! Stones and rocks are out of the question, as the 
serious consequences that almost certainly would follow 
the use of such missiles would deter any self-respecting, 
law-abiding boy from using them, and if the boy is mali- 
cious and fond of cruel tricks the certainty of detection in 
this case will prevent such a use of the baby ballista, which 
was invented solel)^ for fun-loving boys. The baby ballista 
throws shells that burst with a cloud of smoke, and it would 
do no injury to a boy if a bomb burst on his head. 

The Shells. 

These are made of tissue, or thin, light paper, flour, and 
dough. Place some flour in the paper, then a piece of 
dough to give it weight, then some more flour ; gather the 
corners of the paper and twist them together like a big 



The Boys Baby Ballista 395 

paper torpedo; reinforce the twist with a piece of thread 
or string, and the shell is complete. Elevate the front of 
the ballista by placing some object under it — boards or 
stones — fasten the other end securely, with the check-string 
draw back the bat and fasten it back with the trigger. 
Place a shell in the chamber, pull the trip-string, and — 
bang! your flour bomb is hurled through the air at great 
speed, and when it strikes a hard object the paper bursts, 
and a cloud of flour flies out just as smoke does from a 
gunpowder shell. 

By a few experiments the range can be very accurately 
measured, so that it is possible to strike repeatedly the same 
spot, or very near it. This is done by shortening the 
check-string and marking the length with a knot at the 
screw-ej^e. Now load and fire, and mark the spot where 
the bomb bursts, let out some more check-line, make an- 
other trial and mark the length with a knot, thus a knotted 
check-string will mark just where the shells will reach, and 
you can always reach the point you wish b}'' letting out or 
winding up the check-line to the proper knot. 

The foregoing description is intended for an engine to 
work in the city. In the country it is often possible to 
find two young trees of green growing wood that will an- 
swer for the uprights A and B. Out in the woods or fields 
you may shoot with almost any object without endangering 
life or limb. 

Blow-guns. 

The fierce cannibals of Borneo, the quaint and artistic 
little Javanese, and the wild red-men of South America all 
use blow-guns in hunting, and even to fight with. When 
people depend for their dinner or personal safety upon a 
"putty-shooter" you may be sure that they learn to shoot 
with great accuracy. Some of these savages use poisoned 



39^ 



Autttinn 



arrows, but we must admit that even a poisoned arrow can 
do but little execution unless it hits the mark. 

The naked youngsters of Borneo and South America 
acquire great skill with a blow-gun, and there is no reason 
why the bright, intelligent boys of this country should not 
be able to become just as good marksmen. I have seen 





Fig. 332. 



Fig. 333. 



some wonderful shooting with a putty-blower in New York 
City, and I recall one very amusing incident. 

I was returning from luncheon and had reached Broad- 
way when my attention was attracted by a crowd. I found 
a fakir in the middle of the crowd. He opened his big 
mouth to shout his wares, then suddenly began to splut- 
ter, and finally spat a clay pellet out of his mouth. After 



The Boys Baby BalHsta 397 

the pellet came emphatic words and phrases that amused 
the crowd, but did not tend to elevate their morals. It 
was odd, and I laughed heartily, which so angered the 
fellow that he accused me of filling his mouth with mud. 

No one in the crowd knew what on earth was the matter 
with the man, or where the clay came from ; many evi- 
dently thought it was part of the programme. At that 
moment I caught sight of the laughing countenance of a well- 
known artist * in a window on the opposite side of the street. 
Knowing the artist very well, it was not difficult for me to 
imagine where the clay came from. As if for the purpose 
of dispelling all doubts in my mind, the mischievous fellow 
put a long glass tube to his mouth, and the next instant a 
piece of blue clay flattened itself on the fakir's hand. The 
street pedler was now in a towering rage, and I saw that 
he was looking over the crowd for me. Being peaceably 
inclined, I quietly left. 

Great Skill with a Blow-gun. 

This particular artist, by the way, was exceedingly skil- 
ful with a blow-gun. Twice I have seen him, using a com- 
mon glass blow-gun, on the top of a five-story building, 
put a pellet into the mouth of a fakir on the sidewalk oppo- 
site. His good marksmanship, you may be sure, kept the 
corners around that building clear of street fakirs. 

Years ago the Indians inhabiting the banks of the Mis- 
sissippi River manufactured beautiful blow-guns from the 
stalks of cane that grows in the cane-brake along the shore. 
These toys were taken to New Orleans and other cities 
by the aborigines and sold to the boys. Unless the art of 

* Before this book went to press my genial and fun-loving friend ceased his merry 
pranks. The brush and pen by which he gained honor and fame are laid aside forever. 
You will miss him, for you all know him. 



398 Autumn 



making them has been preserved by the negroes of that 
section there are probably none to be had now, but the 
long glass tubes, such as are used by the artist, and the 
common tin putty-shooter can be bought in all parts of the 
country. 

From the World's Fair I secured two beautiful blow- 
guns made in Java, and a few split bamboo arrows. Each of 
these arrows had a lump of loose raw cotton on the rear end, 
big enough to fill the blow-gun so that it might be expelled 
b}^ a smart puff of air from the marksman's lungs. Anxious 
to see how they worked, I set up an old high hat and the 
first arrow pierced it to the cotton butt. If you use arrows 
in the place of clay or putt}^ you can derive plenty of 
amusement and sport, and develop remarkable skill by 
shooting at a target. 

To Make the Target. 

Hunt up an old wooden hoop ; one from a barrel will 
do (Fig. 334). Take a piece of a sheet, or some similar cloth, 
dampen it thoroughly and lay the hoop over it (Fig. 335), 
and with a pair of shears trim the cloth in the form of a 
circle around the hoop to fold over. From your mother's 
work-basket borrow a large darning-needle ; thread it with 
cotton string, and sew the cloth to the hoop by a stitch run- 
ning over and over the hoop (Fig. 336). 

A good piece of strong paper is the next thing required. 
Place the cloth-covered hoop over the paper, and with the 
shears trim off the paper, as is shown in Fig. 337. Cover the 
paper with flour paste, and paste the paper on the damp 
cloth, turning the edges of paper over the hoop as in Fig. 
338. Allow it to dry. When it is perfectl}^ dry it will be as 
tight as a drumhead. 

Fig. 339 shows the front of the target as it should now 



The Boys Baby Ballista 



399 



Fig. -334. 



Fig. 335. 



Fig. 336. 




Fig. 337. 



Fig. 338. 



Fig. 339. 



Fig. 340. Fig. 341. 



appear. Fig. 340 shows how to fasten the legs on. Fig. 
341 shows the hind leg, which must be fastened only at the 
top b}^ a piece of flexible leather 
for a hinge. In Fig. 342 can be 
seen all three legs attached. 

With a pot of marking paint, 
or with common ink, paint a cen- 
tre bull's-eye and a couple of cir- 
cles on the paper covering the 
target and you have the finished 
butt. Split pieces of bamboo, or 
an old fishing -pole, into small 
pieces of about the thickness of a 
match and twice as long, sharpen 
one end of each piece and roll a 
bit of cotton very loosel}'^ around Fig. 342. 




400 Atihimn 

the blunt end of the arrow. Fasten the cotton at the point 
nearest the point of the arrow with a bit of thread or chew- 
ing-gum. Do not put too much cotton on the blunt ends 
of your arrows, only sufficient to make the bamboo fit 
loosely in your blow-gun. 

With a long cane or bamboo blow-pipe from Java I sent 
such an arrow through a heavy curtain in my studio. Ar- 
rows that can be sent with such force are dangerous and 
should only be used in target practice. 

Blow-gun Parachutes. 

If you cut out a small, circular piece of very fine cloth 
or silk, and with a tack made of a pin that has been filed off, 
tack the centre of the cloth to the end of a bamboo arrow, 
using a bit of writing paper as a washer to prevent the pin- 
head from pulling through the cloth, you may make a dainty 
little parachute. Fasten a number of pieces of thread neat- 
ly to the edges of the cloth, and make them long enough, 
that when the cloth is folded the strings will just reach the 
cotton end of the arrow. The threads must all be exactly 
the same length and neatly tied to the stick about a quarter 
of its length from the butt end. 

Shoot this arrow up in the air, and if you have made it 
properly when it descends the heavy end will fall first and 
will spread your little parachute like a tiny silk umbrella, 
and it will float airily down. 

After you have made a few experiments you will dis- 
cover how much weight you need at the blunt end of the 
arrow, and this may be adjusted by bits of chewing-gum or 
putty. 

When you once succeed you will feel rewarded for your 
labor b}^ the sight of the beautiful little air-ships sailing so 



The Boys Baby Ballista 401 

lightly through the air, and no one not'in the secret can tell 
how it is possible to shoot such things from a blow-gun.* 

If the reader looks upon blow-guns as playthings for 
small boys, let him try 

La Riata — The Lariat. 

Properly speaking, there is no such thing as a " lasso." 
You may lasso things with la riata, but you cannot carry 
a " lasso," because lasso is a verb, and no cow-boy carries a 
verb coiled at his saddle-bow though he may have strings 
of forcible adjectives under his tongue. 

The American cowboy learned the use of la riata from 
the Mexican, and he shortened the name and called it lariat, 
which has become the accepted name among Americans ; 
but even this to the cow-boy's ears sounds too much like 
" Greaser talk," so he now calls it lass-rope or simply rope, 
and when he lassos a steer he briefly says he " roped it." 

Boys' books are full of accounts and rules for archery 
and cricket, both of which are essentially English sports 
and have never become thoroughl}^ naturalized in this 
country, but the graceful and useful art of throwing the 
lariat has never received the attention it deserves or been 
seriously adopted as a sport by our boys. Many of them, 
however, after visiting the Wild West show have played 
cow-boy, and with a bit of old clothes-line have made awk- 
ward efforts to lasso their comrades, who, it is presumed, 
represented the buffalo of the Wild West. 

The very best lariats are made of raw hides. On Rose- 
bud River there lives, or formerly lived, a half-breed who 

* This toy is not altogether original with the author. He saw something- of the 
kind described in a paper, but regrets that he is unable to remember what paper it 
was, and is thus unable to quote or give credit for the suggestion. Its application 
to the blow-gun is believed to be original. 
26 



402 



AMhimn 



was so skilful a workman that he could with propriety be 
called a lariat artist. One of the raw-hide ropes that he 

made I have in my studio, and 
it is admired by every cattle- 
man who chances to see it. 




How the 



Raw-hide 
Made. 



Lariat is 



Fig. 343. 



The raw hide is first cut 
into strips as long as the hide 
will allow. The hide is half- 
tanned without removing the 
hair. The strips are next soaked 
in water and stretched over a 
block, after which they are neat- 
ly braided into a rope. During 
the latter process they are care- 
fully pulled as tight as possible. 
When this is done the rope 
is buried in the ground and al- 
lowed to remain in the earth two weeks to soften, a;fter 
which it is dug up and again stretched over a block by 
means of heavy weights. After the hair has been sand- 
papered off, the rope thoroughly oiled or greased with 
mutton tallow and properly noosed, it is ready for use. 

The lariats are made either forty or fifty feet long, ac- 
cording to the preference of the maker. Mr. Charles Lum- 
mis says the standard lariat is forty feet in length, but from 
other sources I learn that there are two standards, one of fifty 
and one of forty feet. The lariats vary also in thickness from 
three-eighths of an inch to half an inch. It takes a hardy, 
tough man to wield one of such dimensions. A rope twenty 
or thirty feet long is long enough for any boy to handle. 



The Boys' Baby Ballista 



403 



How to Make a Boy's Lariat. ^ 

A small iron ring, or eyelet, such as is used on sails and 
awnings, may be obtained at the hardware shop for a few 
cents. One end of the small rope, selected for the lariat, 
must now be unravelled, and the loose ends brought care- 
fully around the ring from opposite directions, meeting 
again at the unwound part of the rope. Here they must 
lie neatly upon each side of the rope, bound tightly in place 
with a strong piece of twine as described in Chapter 
XXXIV., Figs. 355-364. The 
other end of the rope should 
be wound in the same manner 
to prevent it from unravelling. 
This will make as good a lariat 
as that used by many an expert 
cow-boy. 

In certain parts of the coun- 
try this form of " lass rope " 
is used exclusively. Of course 
when a boy becomes an expert 
he will be ambitious to have a 
raw-hide rope, and by writing 
to a Chicago firm, or some 
Western saddlery shop, he may 
procure one at market rates, 
which vary from eight to twen- 
ty dollars. There is also a 
braided linen line that is very 
good. But the home - made 

rope will answer all boyish purposes and afford him more 
pleasure than the heavy raw-hide " wolly " Western one 
can. 




Fig. 344. 



404 



AutMmn 



How to Throw the Rope. 

Mr. Liimmis recommends a loop of seven feet diameter 
to begin with, while the expert, Mr. Louis Ohnimus, starts 
with a noose only a foot or a foot and one-half in diam- 
eter, allowing the rope to slip and the noose to grow larger 
as he swings it ; but most of my rope-throwing friends ad- 
vise the large loop. 

Take your position in front of a target, a post for 
instance. Run the end of the rope through the ring or 
" honda," as it is called. Coil the rope in your left hand, 
carefully leaving about six feet of loose rope between the 
coil and the noose, and see that there are no kinks in the 
line and that the coils will slip easily off when the noose is 
thrown (Fig. 343). Take hold of the noose with your right- 
hand about a foot from the ring, and with the same hand 
grasp the rope the same distance below the ring or honda 
(pronounced onda) (Fig. 343). Do not hold your v*^rist stiff- 
1}% but allow it to move easily as you swing the noose 
over your head from right to left (Fig. 




344). Let your wrist act 

as an axle, and swing the rope as if it 

were a wheel revolving horizontally 

around your wrist and over your head. 

Let it move with sufficient force to 

lengthen the noose, if you use the small 

noose, and swift enough to enable you 

to guide it if you have started with a 

large noose. When you feel that the 

proper time has arrived for making the 

cast, choose the moment as your swinging 




Fig. 345- 



hand comes 



The Boys Baby Ballista 405 

around from back to front, give a quick step forward, 
bring your hand, with palm down, forward and down to 
the level of your shoulder, let it stretch to a full arm's- 
length without interrupting the swinging motion of the 
noose, and let it go at the post (Fig, 345). 

In throwing the rope the right side of the loop should 
be lower than the other ; then this side will strike first and 
throw the other side over the object. 

If you have followed these rules without a slip it will 
not be a bad throw even though it is your first, and if 
you failed to circle the post you at least saw the noose sail 
straight at it without losing its circular form, and this will 
encourage you to tr)'- again and again until the poor post 
will become red in the face from the chokings it receives. 

First strive to send the noose sailing on a level course. 
When this is achieved more than half the battle is won, 
and you can begin to teach your playmates this sport. 
Besides being typically American and great as an educator 
of the eye and developer of the muscles, it may be an ex- 
ceedingly useful acquisition to a boy's list of accomplish- 
ments. Many a life of skater and swimmer has been lost 
that would have been saved had any of the panic-stricken 
spectators been able to cast a rope with even a small de- 
gree of accuracy. 

The Lariat on Horseback. 

Here you do not coil the rope, for it is ready coiled at 
your saddle-bow. The loop, however, when the rope is 
coiled at your saddle-bow is only the size of the fakes, or 
coil-loops ; so the noose must be lengthened. You simply 
lift the rope from the saddle, and throw as described. The 
lariat is not made fast to the horn of the saddle, because 



4o6 Atttunin 

that is exceedingl)^ dangerous. A big bull, steer, horse, or 
even some of the smaller animals, when improperly roped, 
can throw horse and man. When the strain comes the 
rider makes a hitch over the saddle-horn that will hold if 
necessary, or that he can cast loose if the occasion de- 
mands. A cow-puncher who ties the riata to the saddle- 
horn is looked upon with scorn by his more proficient 
neighbors. The end of the rope should be held loosely in 
the left hand until the animal is caught, and then a couple 
of quick turns are taken with it around the saddle-horn. 

Said a Western friend to me, " In roping from your horse 
the horse is trained to brace back as the rope tightens. In 
roping a cow or a steer the forefoot is always the target, 
never the head. All you have to do," he continued, "is to 
throw the rope in front of the beast so that the side of the 
noose nearest the cow is on the ground and the other side in 
the air. Then the animal will step right into it. See? " 

I saw and tried it many times. It can be done after 
practice, no doubt, for cow-boys do it, but it is not so easy 
as it sounds. 



CHAPTER XXXIV 
"TALLY-HO" AND OTHER CRIES 

The Origin of "Hello" and "Tally-ho*'— Indian War-whoops and Col- 
lege Yells — Boys' Cries. 

Wolves were formerly very numerous in England. It 
was some time after the introduction of firearms that the 
last one was killed. A legend similar to that told of Gen- 
eral Putnam credits a man and his son by the name of Pol- 
son with killing the last English wolf. The celebrated Sir 
Ewen Cameron of Lochiel killed the last wolf in Scotland 
in 1697. In the bog of Kilcrea, in Ireland, wolves remained 
until the beginning of the last century. 

Wolf-hunting in England 

was formerly not only an exciting sport but a duty which 
the government enforced upon its subjects. King Edgar 
remitted the punishment for certain crimes if the criminal 
could produce a given number of wolves' tongues. There 
was formerly a law which forced all the barons " to hunt 
and chase the wolfe and wolfe whalp (whelps) four times 
a year and as often as they see them. The Scherrif and 
Bailie to hunt them thrice a year, with power to raise the 
country to their assistance." 

When we remember how the wolves ran in large packs 
in the great forests we may imagine what a time they must 



4o8 Autiinm 

have had in those wolf-hunts. How the burly old English 
hunters must have shouted ! And what did they shout ? 

The French language was the language of the court, 
and they used the French wolf-hunter's cry of " Hab Ic 
loup ! a lou loup ! " or " au loup ! " Gradually the French 
words were modified to "a-loo!" The wolves became 
extinct and the English added their favorite H and shouted 
" Ha-loo ! " In this country the ancient wolf-hunter's cry is 
principally used to call up " Central " on the telephone, and 
we call it " Hello." 

It will be noticed that all cries have a marked similarity. 
This is not because they all come from the same source, but 
because only such calls as possess great carrying qualities 
are retained in use. Two hundred years ago, according to 
a magazine of that date, the English fox-hunter's cry was 

"Tallio, Hoix, Hark, Forward," 

which is a corruption of the French hunter's call. Four 
hundred j^ears ago the gay French hunter encouraged his 
dogs with the musical cry of " Thia-hilaiid a qui forheur ! " * 
sometimes printed " Tya-hillaiLt a qui forJicur^ From this 
the English manufactured " Tallio, hoix, hark, forward." 
Later it has been abbreviated to simply 

"Tally-ho." 

In very ancient times each soldier wore for a uniform 
whatever clothes he could procure, and no two were dressed 
alike. They had no banners or flags, but fought after the 
manner of our own American Indians, and like them they 
had their war-whoops. Every boy in America has felt the 

* These huntsmen's shouts are given in a quaint and rare old French book illustrated 
with the queer pictures of the day and entitled " La Venerie de Jacques du Fouilloux, 
a Paris 1573." 



''Tally- Ho'' and Other Cries 409 

cold chills run down his back as he has read of the silence 
of the frontier settlement being suddenly broken by the 
*' blood-curdling- yells of the Indians." A neighbor of mine 
who formerly employed a half-tamed Indian tells me that 
on rare occasions the semi-savage allowed the children to 
persuade him to give a war-whoop, " which he did with 
such energy that every living thing within hearing would 
stand spell-bound with astonishment or terror, until the 
echoes had died away." 

I never heard this Indian, but have heard what pur- 
ported to be the 

War-cry of the Wild Tribes, 

and I think it no worse than, nor indeed half as bad as, some 
of the yells given by the college or foot-ball teams. If you 
can imagine that one of these foot-ball teams was intent 
upon scalping you and burning your house, and if the still- 
ness of the night should be suddenly broken by their 
" Rah ! rah ! rah ! siss-boom-ah ! " it would, without doubt, 
make your hair stand on end. 

The Greeks had their '' Eleleu ! " the Scripture Alleluia, 
the Welsh their " Ubub," the Irish, " Ullulu," the Scots 
their various slogans. 

"The Rebel Yell." 

The old backwoodsmen that formed the rear-guard in 
our Revolution swept down on the redcoats with a yell 
that made British hearts stop beating, and in the Civil War 
of 1861-65 the descendants of these old backwoodsmen in 
the Confederate Army gave the same cry, and it was then 
known, and is still spoken of, as the rebel yell. It was bor- 
rowed from the Indians by the first settlers. 

In olden times the Frenchman when he charged the 



41 o Aittitmn 

enemy cried " Monte Joye, St. Dennis," which was changed 
to " Tue^ tue! " and the ancient Irishman shouted " Farrah ! 
farrah ! " The Scotch kings yelled " St. Andrew ! " but every 
clan in Scotland had its own particular slogan. The John- 
stones cried "Light thieves all!" the MacGregors, " Ard 
choille ! " while the MacFarlane's watchwords were " Loch 
Sloidh ! " 

At first war-cries were only used by chiefs, princes, or 
commanders, and at tournaments the heralds thus pro- 
claimed them. Now the degenerate descendants of these 
burly old fighting men use the self-same watchwords or 
war-cries as mottoes. In place, however, of being shouted 
from the hairy throats of men-at-arms to arouse warriors, 
they are embroidered on handkerchiefs, painted on private 
coaches, and used for book-plates ! 

"Coo-ee!" 

is the call for help and the signal for recognition through- 
out Australasia. The yell is borrowed from the natives, 
and has remarkable carrying powers. It has been heard 
over the plains at wonderfully long distances. This cry is 
given in a head-tone something like the New York City 
milkman's early morning whoop. In the Australian bush 
anyone hearing the " Coo-ee ! " is bound by the laws of the 
bush to reply, as it invariably means that some one has lost 
his way, or has met with some accident and needs assist- 
ance. 

In the great Southwest of our own country, on the 
plains and in the mountains, the woodsmen and travellers 
use the Indian yell of 

" Yaqui ! " 
from which the tribe of Indians takes its name. This cry 
is only used as a " hello." The first syllable is given in 



" Tally- Ho " and Other Cries 41 1 



chest-, the second in head-tones, and the latter is generally 
prolonged. It is claimed that this call will carry farther 
than " Coo-ee." 

Small Boys' Call. 

All small boys in America have a peculiar method by 
which they signal or call to each other. This they do by a 
yell in which they suddenly change from a head-voice to a 
chest-voice, and produce a sort of warbling shriek that it is 
impossible for me to indicate with letters, but can easily be 
understood by any one who has ever heard the cry of the 
Loon or Great Northern Diver. After the boys grow older 
and their voices change it is impossible for them to give the 
call of their childhood. 

"Whoo-ah!" 

In parts of the South the boys use a cry which is prob- 
ably an importation from Africa, brought over by the slave 
children. As near as I can spell it it is " Whoo-ah ! " or 
" Hough-ah ! " to which is generally added the name of the 
playmate who is thus greeted or called, as " Hough-ah, 
Ralph ! " The cry is uttered in a loud but peculiarly soft 
tone, with a rising inflection on the hough. The rather 
long-drawn '' ah ! " is given in a lower tone. 

"Mee-ma Red Eye!" 

Another odd cry, the meaning of which I never learned, 
is from Kentucky. It is " Mee-ma ! mee-ma ! " Often the 
words " Red eye " are added to the cry, making it Mee- 
ma, red eye ! mee-ma ! " Generally this cry is used in deri- 
sion. If one boy excels another in jumping he cries 
" Mee-ma ! " or the victorious ball-nine will " Mee-ma " the 
vanquished nine. 



412 A^ttumn 



"Oh!" 

In the East one boy calls to another by simply shouting" 
his name, as "Johnny!" or, "Say, Johnny!" but in the 
Southwest the boys cry " Oh, Johnny ! " with a long-drawn 
" Oh." 

For some reason little attention has been paid to these 
peculiar cries by students of folk-lore and their origin is 
doubtful. 

"Lil!" "Track!" "Way!" 

are the shouts of warning sounded by boys when coast- 
ing. In Cincinnati, O., and Covington, Ky., they cry 
" Track ! Clear the track ! " as they come tearing down the 
hill on their long sleds with solid runners bound with half- 
round iron. In the vicinity of New York the bob-sleigh's 
pilot shouts " Way ! " an abbreviation of " Clear the way ; " 
but in certain parts of Yankeedom the bob-sleigh lads cry 
" Lil ! lil ! lil ! " the origin of which is lost in the foi^gotten 
and unrecorded lore of boyhood. 

The Nereus Boat Club boys of Flushing, L. I., have a 
very effective yell which can easily be heard and dis- 
tinguished for long distances over the water. It begins 
with a head-note and ends with three chest-notes : 

"K-e-e Yoy! Hoo ! Hoo ! " 

The first syllable is long drawn out, the second is a little 
shorter, and the last two are short and quick. 

Most of the college yells consist of a repetition of an 
abbreviation of " Hoorah," repeated over and over again 
with the name of the college thrown in the middle or at the 
end of the cry. This is sometimes varied by the addition 
of an imitation of the ascent of a skj^-rocket and of the ex- 



''Tally- Ho'' and Other Cries 413 

clamation of the spectators when they behold the bursting 
rocket shed its shower of golden fire. This is rendered 
" Siss ! " the rocket ascending ; " boom ! " the rocket ex- 
ploding ; " ah ! " the people's expression of admiration and 
pleasure. 

The notes of frogs, dogs, and crowing cocks are often 
introduced. One Brooklyn military company has a 
"tiger" composed of a provincial expression borrowed 
from the farmers. When drawled out by a hundred throats 
the phrase, " I-wanter-know ! " always produces a laugh. 

Princeton. 

All who have visited the foot-ball fields where the des- 
perate contest for the championship between the colleges 
takes place are familiar with the wild yell of the Princeton 
tigers which is delivered in thirty seconds' time at each 
good play or bad play of the striped-legged gladiators, 
" Hooray ! hooray ! Tiger-siss-boom-ah ! PRINCETON ! " 
And the sturdy sons of 

Yale 

reply vehemently and vociferously three times three, 
" Rah ! rah ! rah ! Rah ! rah ! rah ! Rah ! rah ! rah ! 
YALE! " quickly and sharply enunciated. The crimson 

Harvard. 

Harvard boys cry, with long-drawn deep notes, " Rah, 
rah ! rah ! Rah ! rah ! rah ! Rah ! rah ! rah ! HARVARD .' " 

Cornell. 

Better than any one of the foregoing, in my opinion, is 
the "Cornell I yell! yell! yell! CORNELL!" This yell 
will make more noise for a few men than any other except. 



414 Atihmin 

possibly, the old (not the present) Lehigh yell. Then there 
is the odd, " chewy " cheer of the 

Williams College 

boys, with its emphatic start and finish, " Rah, rah, rah ! 
Yums ! yams ! yums ! WILLYUMS ! " 

Trinity College 

boys hurrah with a " Rah ! rah ! rah ! Trinity ! Boom-rah ! 
Boom-rah ! TRIN-EYE-TEEE ! " 

Wesleyan College 

lads are rivals of the Trinities and send back an an- 
swering yell of " Rah ! rah ! rah ! rah ! Wesleyana ! Rah ! 
rah ! rah ! rah ! " which is answered by the 

Brown 

fellows with a hearty '' Rah, rah, rah, rah ! BROWN ! " 

After all the monotonous " Rah ! rah ! rahs ! " it is 
quite refreshing to hear the original wild and woolly cry 
of the 

Colorado 

boys, as with Western enthusiasm they swing their hats 
and shout " Rah ! rah ! rah ! Pike's Peak or bust ! Colorado 
College! Yell we MUST!" 

The Leland Stanford, Jr., 

boys borrowed their yell from the red-men, " Wah hoo! Ya 
hoo ! L. S. J. U ! STANFORD ! " 
In the 

Dartmouth 

cheer the soft notes suggest Indian origin, but they are 
very musical compared with the rasping yell of some of the 



''Tally- Ho'' and Other Cries 415 

others : "Hi! hi ! hi ! Rah ! rah ! rah ! D-d-d-d-Dartmouth, 
wah, who, wah!" or, " VVah, who, wah ! Wah, who, wah ! 
Da, di, di Dartmouth ! Wah, who, wah ! " 

The old Knickerbockers have left an heir-loom in their 
rally which has been incorporated in the 

Union College 

cheer of "Rah, rah, rah! U-N-I-O-N. Hikah! hikah! 
hikah ! " 

Possibly the honor of having a yell that consumes the 
most time in voicing belongs to the 

University of Illinois, 

but time is no object to these boys so long as they continue 
to make a noise, and, if possible, drown the cries of their 
rivals with " Rah, hoo, rah ! Zipp, boom, ah ! Hip-zoo ! 
Rah-zoo. Jimmy blow your bazoo ! Ip-sidi-iki U, of I. 
campaign !" The length of the above is in strong contrast 
with the brevity of the yell of 

Hanover. 

The Hanover boys think they can make just as much 
noise with their short cry of " Han ! Han ! HANOVER ! " 
and doubtless do when their lungs are in good condition. 
Like the Knickerbocker Dutchmen, the early French set- 
tlers of Missouri have left a bit of their mother tongue in 
the watchwords of 

Westminster. 

Of course the inevitable " 'rah " is the opening note of 
their slogan. " Rah, rah, rah ! Oh, yes, sir ! Vive-la, 
Vive-la ! WESTMINSTER ! " 



41 6 Azthimn 



Cornell, of Iowa, 

does not want to be confounded with the other Cornell, 
and though they have had numerous war-cries, I believe 
they have now settled down to a sort of sky-rocket noise, 
represented by " Zip-siss-boom ! Cor-cor-nell ! C-C. tiger- 
la ! Zip-siss-hurrah ! " 

Amherst 

has a cheer of the conventional type: " Rah ! rah ! rah ! " 
etc., and terminating with the name of their institution. 
Boston people are modest folk until they rriention their 
beautiful city of crooked streets. Then they swell with 
pride, and the pupils of 

The Boston University 

modestly give their cry under their breath until they come 
to the final Boston, which word is given with the full force 
of their lungs, thus : " Boston, B-B-BOSTON ! Varsity ! 
Varsity ! Varsity ! Rah ! rah ! rah ! " 
It is told of the 

Cumberland University 

that they once gave an out-door banquet on the mountains, 
and in the discussion that arose as to what their war-cry 
should be, some one suggested that they leave it to the echo 
to decide. Now there was more than one echo hiding in 
the mountains, and when the college shouted out the in- 
quiry, " Where are you ? " all the echoes made haste to 
repeat the sentence, and jumbled the words so that it 
sounded like " Roo raw roo?" Thereupon the boys de- 
cided that their cheer should be : " Roo, ralr ! Roo, rah ! 



''Tally- Ho'' and Other Cries 417 

Roo, rah! Rau ! Roo, rah! Roo, rah! CUMBER- 
LAND ! " 

They once had a mascot in the form of a dog at ^ 

Rutgers, 

and the boys now yell " Rah, rah, rah ! Bow-wow-wow ! 
RUTGERS ! " 

The Rochester University 

cry is " Waxico, waxico, waxico, wax ! Waxico, waxico, 
waxico, wax! Brek-k-ks — Brek-k-ks, ah-h-ah ! ROCHES- 
TER!" 

University of Washington 

has this cry : " U. of W. ! Hiah ! Hiah ! U. of W. ! U. of 
W.! Siah! Siah ! Shooken! Shookem! WASHINGTON." 

Hobart's Cry 

is: " Hip-ho-bart ! Hip-ho-bart ! Hip-ho, hip-ho, HIP-HO- 
BART!" 

Syracuse University 

cry is : " Srah — Srah — Srah — Sy-ra-cuse ! " 

The University of Pennsylvania 

has a cheer of old Dutch origin. Besides these university 
slogans each class has its own call, which varies every year, 
but they are all of the same general style. One that I re- 
member is : "Johnny, get your gun ! Johnny, get your gun! 
We're the class of 'Ninety-one ! " The Class of Ninety-one 
of the Quaker boys of Swarthmore had a unique cry of 
M.D. !— C.C.C. !— X.C.I. !— S.C ! " 

The number of club, class, school, and university yells is 
unlimited ; but if any one of the readers of this book wants 
27 



41 8 Atttumn 

to invent a cheer, remember to choose first such sounds as 
will make the most noise; second, to end up with the name 
of his club or organization, the idea being- first to attract 
attention, and second, to advertise your society, school, or 
university, by impressing its name on the willing or unwill- 
ing ears of your hearers. In the same way the old Scots 
would yell the name of their leader, prince, or clan, so that 
their foe might know who were the valiant men they were 
fighting, and might always afterward remember their 
name or the name of their leader. 



CHAPTER XXXV 
INDIAN GAMES ADAPTED FOR BOYS 

Squaw, Saddle-bags, or Sky Shinny — The Way the Game is Played— 
An Exhilarating Sport — Mandan Ring— A Fine Game for Autumn 
or Winter. 



In place of a bung or a golf-ball a pair of bags are used 
for the game of Squaw, Saddle-bags, or Sky Shinny, as it 
is variously called. These are made of soft leather or buck- 
skin, and are connected by a strap twenty-four inches long, 
securely sewed to the bags at each end. 
The bags are seven by four inches, and usu- 
ally contain corn, beans, or some similar ma- 
terial. The bags should not be heavy enough 
to make dangerous missiles, but should be 
of sufficient weight to render it possible to 
throw them a considerable distance (Fig. 347). 

No one is allowed to touch the bags with 
his hands or feet. Each player is supplied 
with a light, strong ash or hickory stick 
curved at one end like a shinny or golf-stick. 
(Fig. 346). It is with these sticks that the 
bags are picked up from the ground, skilfully fig. 346. fig. 347. 
caught OR the fly, and carried, while the 
player makes a rush for goal ; or the sticks 
may be used like slings or thro wing-sticks, with which to 
send the twin bags sailing over the heads of the tribe. 




Saddle-bags and 
Squaw Stick. 



420 Autumn 



The Rules 

governing this game are similar in many respects to those 
governing the old game of foot-ball as played at Rugby. 
But in this game there is no kicking another fellow's shins 
or legs below the knee, as the Rugby boys do. No player 
is allowed to kick either below or above the knee, or to 
trip another player with foot or stick. 

The ground on which Saddle-bags is played is called 
the "■ prairie," and is the same size as the foot-ball field, with 
the same boundaries. There are two goals, one at each 
end of the field, consisting of two uprights with cross poles 
about ten feet from the ground. 

There may be any number of 

Players, 

divided as in foot-ball, but with different names. 

The rushers are called the tribes, the half-backs braves, 
the full-backs bucks, and the captains chiefs. 

The game begins by the two chiefs tossing up for choice 
of goals or first cast. If the winner chooses first cast, the 
loser has choice of goals ; if the winner takes choice of 
goals the loser has first cast. 

After these preliminaries are settled the two chiefs 
place their men, sending the bucks back to guard the goals, 
and the braves to a position between the bucks and the 
tribe. The duties of the braves are liable to begin immedi= 
ately upon the opening of 

The Game, 

particularly if the opposing side makes a good cast, and 
the saddle-bag comes whirling over the tribe to where 
the braves are placed. The braves must be ready and are 



Indian Games Adapted for Boys 421 

expected to catch the bags, and whoever does so must run 
for dear life, with the bags swinging from the end of his 
stick. When he sees that he can carry them no farther he 
must cast them with might and main for the goal, or, if 
necessary, pass them from his stick to that of one of his 
tribe, who receives them and does his "level best " to carry 
or cast them to the goal, or pass them to still another of his 
own tribe. 

It is the duty of the opposing braves to do their utmost 
to intercept or tackle the foe, who carries the bags on his 
stick, or to lift the bags from the enemy, and having ob- 
tained them to run as fast as possible in the opposite" di- 
rection, and go through all the tactics already described. 

The bags are free to all when in play, but you are not 
allowed to capture them by forcibly striking the enemy's 
stick or person with your stick, though it is considered 
perfectly fair to lift them by thrusting, poking, slipping, or 
inserting the end of your stick under the bags and lifting 
them from their perch on the enemy's rod. 

It is the duty of the tribe to gain possession of the sad- 
dle-bags when a brave is stopped, and to fling them with 
all possible force toward the goal. The duty of the bucks 
is similar to that of the braves, whenever the bags pass over 
the heads of the latter. 

The Score. 

No advantage that counts in the score is gained by 
either side until the bags are cast over the goal or carried 
beyond the enemy's goal-line. A run over the goal-line 
counts one scalp ; a cast under the goal-stick and over the 
goal-line counts three scalps ; a goal, that is, a cast over the 
goal-stick, counts ten scalps. If by accident the saddle-bags 
catch and hang on the goal-stick, it is called a straddle and 



422 Autumn 

counts eight scalps. When the bags fall outside the boun- 
daries they are placed on the " prairie " by the umpire at the 
point, as near as he can judge, where they crossed the line 
for a scrimmage as in foot-ball, only in this case the bags 
must be sent overhead. 

The Umpire. 

It is the duty of the umpire to watch that no player 
kicks, strikes, or butts another, and warn him for the first 
offence and rule him off the field for the second. All doubt- 
ful points are decided by the umpire by the rules of foot- 
ball. The side that first scores forty-five points is the 
victor. 

Considerable skill is required to play a good game of 
Saddle-bags, and besides this there is any amount of ex- 
citement and exercise with a minimum amount of danger. 
Once a crowd of boys learn the game well enough to make 
an occasional goal with a long cast across field they will be- 
come fascinated with the good American game of Saddle- 
bags, which is adapted, with few changes of any importance, 
from an old game of our red-skinned brothers. 

Mandan Ring 

is a beautiful game and originated in America. It has no 
ancestor on the other side of the ocean, but was introduced 
among the American Indians by the Mandans, who now 
muster scarcely enough warriors to make a good game. 

The ring used b}'^ the Indian sportsmen is laboriously 
carved from stone, but a good iron or metal ring, four inches 
in diameter, can be obtained at most hardware shops or 
made to order by a blacksmith, or bought from a junkman. 
The " tchungkees," or spears, you must manufacture your- 
selves. 



Indian Games Adapted for Boys 423 



How to Make the Tchungkee. 

Hunt up a piece of ash or hickory about the size of a 
hoop-pole. Cut off the extra wood so that the stick will 
measure six feet in length. With a good jack-knife you can 
whittle the stick down to something of the proportions of a 
billiard-cue, except that the butt end should be considerably 
smaller, not larger, than a medium -sized walking-stick. 
Taper the spear to a blunted point at the top and see that 
it is well balanced. With a piece of broken glass scrape it 
smooth and be careful to make it straight. When, in your 
judgment, your tchungkee is finished, mark off four divis- 
ions, each a foot apart, and the first a foot from the top or 
point of the spear (Fig. 353). 

Leather Barbs. 

Next you must procure enough good thick leather to 
cut into ten pieces, each three inches long by one and one- 
half inch wide. With a sharp knife make a slit at one end 
of the leather, dividing it equally for one and one-half 
inch (Fig. 348). With the same sharp knife taper off the 
other end of the leather as shown by Fig. 349, Make twelve 
of these leather barbs, and then with an awl or some similar 
instrument bore holes as shown in Fig. 349. 

These barbs are to fit on the foot-marks on the lance, 
and must be fastened on in the following manner: Bend the 
legs of the barb in opposite directions (Fig. 350); with a 
small brass or copper brad tack one barb at each mark on 
the spear ; divide each foot marked on the rod into three 
divisions of four inches each, and one-third the distance 
around the spear, that is, one-third of the circumference 
measured from the leather barbs already nailed on ; fasten 



424 



Autumn 



another row of barbs, one at each four-inch mark (Figs. 352 
and 354). 

Two-thirds of the distance around the tchungkee fasten 
on the remaining leather barbs at the eight-inch marks. To 
give a good finish the legs of each barb should be tightly 
and evenly wound with shoemaker's waxed thread (Fig. a 
352). Start off with a clove hitch. Bend your line in 
a loop as in Fig. 355. Make another loop as shown in 



Fig. 348. 



Fig. 349. 



Fig. 350. 




Oix "THE LANCe 



l^*^ A PiECE OF LEATHER- 2!^5,Arv\E TRIh^f^AEO 





•^ •• B.N VIEW 
ShOWil-vq- THE 

THE THREE TIPS- 



Fig. 352. 



Fig. 351. 



d 



L-AWCE ^/WITH D"^' i» lODJ S. /V\ARI<EJ5 



Fig. 353. 
Construction of the Tchungkee 



Fig. 354. 



Indian Games Adapted for Boys 425 



the next diagram. Fig. 356 
shows the double loop. Place 
the first loop over the second 
as shown in Fig. 357. Thrust 
the rod through the double 
loop (Fig. 358). Draw the 
lines tight as in Fig. 359. 
Bring the end A to one side 
and lay the end B along the 
rod (Fig. 360). Take the end 
A and wrap the line neatly 
around the stick and over the 
line B for the required dis- 
tance, leaving a small margin 
for a few additional wraps 
(Fig. 361). Now take B and 
make a long loop, bringing 
the end B up as shown in Fig. 

362. Make a few additional 
wraps and thrust A through 
the protruding loop as in Fig. 

363. Pull B tight so that A is 
brought up under the bind- 
ing. Then cut both ends off 
close to the stick (Fig. 364). 
You will find that this will not 
unwind or leave any exposed 
ends. Finally give a coat of 
varnish or paint. 

If you have followed the 
directions carefully your 
tchungkee when placed upon 
the ground will always pre- 



FiG. 3SS. Fig. 356. 




Fig. 357. 



Fig. 358. 



Fig. 359. 



Fig. 360. 



Fig. 361. 



Fig. 362. 



Fig. 363 



Fig. 364. 



How to Bind the Lance, a Fish-rod, a 
Bow, or for Mending any sort of Rod 
or Stick. 



426 Autmmt 

sent a row of upright leather barbs, while it rests on two 
other rows. Fig. 351, an end view, explains this. 



How to Play Mandan Ring. 

If there are more than two boys, choose up for sides, and 
toss up for first inning. This decided, the chief of the Ins 
takes the ring and his tchungkee, and the chief of the Outs 
follows him with his tchungkee, ready for use. Shoulder 
to shoulder they start on a run, and when under good head- 
way the Ins' chief throws the ring so that it will roll like 
a hoop. Both chiefs follow and throw their lances be- 
fore them as they run, in such a manner that the tchungkees 
slide along the ground or pavement one on each side of the 
ring. This they do — picking up their lances and throwing 
them again as long as the ring keeps rolling. 



How the Score is Made. 

No count can be made in the game if your lance is on 
the other boy's side. The object of the player is to have 
his lance alongside the ring when it stops, and if the ring 
falls over one of the leather barbs, that counts a number of 
points in the game, regulated by the location of the barb. 
The first leather counts one, the second two, etc. The 
loser of the first run is out, and the winner rolls the iron 
ring with the next boy from the opposite side. This con- 
tinues until the game is won by one side or the other. 
The game may be any number of points you may agree 
upon. 

This should become a popular American boys' game, as 
it possesses all the qualities necessary to make a popular 
sport, and can be played upon any hard, smooth surface. 



Indian Games Adapted for Boys 427 

The composition street-paving that is now becoming com- 
mon in the cities makes the best of play-grounds for Man- 
dan Ring. Where the ground will admit the players may 
wear roller-skates, and in winter it makes a fine game 
on the ice, in which case all the players of course wear 
skates. 



CHAPTER XXXVI 
ON THE FOOT-BALL FIELD 

The Antiquity of the Game — The General Principles of the Game as 
It Is Played by the College Teams at Present. 

Possibly the foot-ball pla3'ers are unaware of the • im- 
portant fact that they have a patron saint. At Lincoln, in 
England, in 1520, a boy named Hugh was a champion foot- 
ball player, and he met his death from kicking the ball 
through the open window of a Jew's house. The old verse 
says that 

"Four and twenty bonny boys 
Were playing at the ba', 
And by it came him sweet Sir Hugh 
And he played o'er them a'. 

" He kicked the ba' with his right foot 
And catched it wi' his knee ; 
And throck-and-thro' the Jew's window 
He gar'd the bonny ba' flee." 

It seems that the Jew did not take the same interest in 
the game that we now do, and so he or his daughter enticed 
" sweet Sir Hugh " into the house and cut him up with a 
big knife after the fashion of the day. After the crime was 
discovered sweet Sir Hugh had a great funeral, and he was 
made a saint. According to the legend, " miracles were 
performed at his tomb." 



On the Foot-Ball Field 



429 



But foot-ball 
was 

An Old Game 

before Sir Hugh 
was born. As far 
back as 1349 we find 
a public edict pro- 
hibiting the game. 
It is not to be sup- 
posed that the an- 
cient game bore any 
striking resem- 
blance to the mod- 
ern American foot- 
ball, and there is lit- 
tle doubt that an- 
other ancient game 
of ball called " hurl- 
ing," in which two 
towns battled for a 
ball of wood or prec- 
ious metal, has been 
mixed with plain 
foot-ball ; and from 
the mixture of kick- 
ing the ball and rush- 
ing with it in the 
arms was evolved 
the Rugby and then 
the American game 
of foot-ball. 





Figs. 365 and 366. 
— A Place Kick 
at Princeton. 



Fig. 367. — A Snap 
Back. 



F1G.368.— APass. 



Figs. 369, 370, and 
371. — A Place 
Kick at Yale. 



FiGS.372,373, and 
374. — Some 
Good Tackles at 
Yale. 



Sketched on the Field. 



430 Auhtmn 



The Only Way 

in which to learn the modern American game is by careful 
study, not of books alone, but of the players in match and 
practice games. A paper-covered copy of Spalding's of- 
ficial foot-ball guide, containing the latest revised rules, can 
be obtained at an expenditure of about ten cents, and with 
this in 3^our pocket to refer to, you will soon learn to see 
science where the untrained eye sees only an apparently 
heedless rough-and-tumble scrimmage. 

When you yourself play, keep the rules handy for refer- 
ence, and when in doubt as to the real meaning of a rule, 
never hesitate to address a note to some famous player ask- 
ing an explanation. You may almost invariably count 
upon his interest in the game being great enough to insure 
you a speedy and satisfactory reply. 

The Game. 

By looking at the plan of the field you will see that it 
resembles a gridiron. In reality the foot-ball field is a sort 
of giant chess or checker board with long strips in place of 
squares and with but one chessman or checker, and that is 
the oval, leather-covered ball. The moves are made by 
main force and strategy and consist of a number of " downs," 
runs, or kicks as the judgment of the player may dictate. 

The Points in the Game 

are counted as follows : 

Goal by touch-down * * * * 

Touch-down without goal . * * * * 

Goal from field kick * * * * 

Safety by opponents * * * * 



«• 


* 


2 


* 


* 


4 


* 


* 


5 


* 


* 


2 




On the Foot- Ball Field 431 



The Ball 

is egg-shaped and called the " intercollegiate match ball." 
Many boys in the rural districts have the leather cover for 
their ball made at the shoemaker's or har- 
ness shop. Inside the leather cover they 
put a bladder which is inflated by the use 
of a quill and a healthy pair of lungs. The 
nozzle is then tied fast with a bit of string 
and pushed out of sight and harm's way 
and the leather cover is laced up. 

Most of my readers will find it cheaper pj^, gy^^xhe Bail 
to purchase the regulation ball, which is |"ot*^ invisible 
similar to the rustic one. It is egg-shaped, 
of course, but in place of a bladder it has an India-rubber 
oval inside, which may be inflated by a little pump similar 
to those used for inflating bicycle tires. 

The Field. 

Upon a level stretch of ground mark out a rectangular 
figure one hundred and sixty feet wide by three hundred 
and thirty feet long, and, for convenience in determining 
how far the ball is advanced at each down, divide the field 
up with cross lines every fifteen feet or five yards. You 
can make the lines and boundaries with ordinary white- 
wash and brush. 

Measure eighty feet from one corner along the end line 
of the field and mark the point. Do the same on the oppo- 
site end, and as the end lines are each one hundred and sixty 
feet long the two points will mark the centres of the lines. 
Measure nine feet three inches to the right and to the left 
of the centre points on the end lines and plant your four 
goal-posts, two at each end of the field. This will leave 



432 



Auhtmn 



the regulation space of 
eighteen feet six inches be- 
tween the posts. The cross 
bar should now be placed 
on these poles ten feet from 
the ground. The uprights 
should extend over ten feet 
above the cross bar. 

The Teams 

in regulation games con- 
sist of eleven men each, but 
for practice or impromptu 
games among boys, as few 
as four on a side will make 
a game full of fun and ex- 
ercise. 

The eleven men in the 
regulation game are divid- 
ed into rushers and backs. 
A quarter-back, two half- 
backs, and a full-back. The 
first seven or line men who 
are known as centre, right- 
guard, right -tackle, right- 
end, left-guard, left-tackle, and left-end. The captains of the 
respective teams number the plays and keep the numbers 
secret. But they ofttimes first call false numbers to con- 
fuse their opponents and not " give away " the proposed 
play. 



Fig. 376.— The Field. 



On the Foot-Ball Field 433 



The Kicks 

all have special names, such as a 

Drop-kick, when the ball is dropped from the hand and 
kicked the instant it touches the ground ; the 

Place-kick, made by. kicking- the ball after it has been 
placed on the ground ; the 

Punt, made by kicking the ball as it falls from the hands 
and before it reaches the ground ; the 

Kick-off, is a place-kick made from the centre of the field. 
The kick-off cannot score a goal. The 

Kick-out, when one of the players on the side which has 
touched the ball down in its own goal makes a punt, drop- 
kick, or place-kick. A 

Free-kick, any kick where the rules forbid the opponents 
from advancing beyond a certain point. 

In-Touch. 

In-touch is out of bounds. 

A Touch-down is when the ball is kicked or carried 
across the goal line and held there. 

A Touch-back is when the player touches the ball to the 
ground behind his own goal, the ball having been propelled 
over the line by an opponent. 

A Safety Touch-down, is when either by a kick, pass, or a 
snap-back, the player guarding his goal receives the ball 
from one of his own side and touches it down behind his 
goal line, or when he carries the ball across his own goal 
line and touches it down, or when he puts the ball in his 
own touch-in-goal, or if the ball, being kicked by one of his 
own side, bounds back from an enemy across the goal line 
and the player guarding the goal then touches it down. 
28 



434 Aiihmin 



A Fair Catch. 

When a player kicks a ball and it is caught on the fly 
by an opponent, the catcher of the ball may plant his heel 
in the g-round, marking the spot where the catch was made. 
If none of the catcher's side touched the ball it is called a 
fair catch. It is customary for the man making the catch 
to announce the fact by shouting " Fair Catch ! " or by 
holding up one hand or by both. 

The Heel-mark 

is the limit beyond which the opponents of the player 
making a fair catch cannot advance until the ball is again 
put in play. The catch entitles the player to the privilege 
of retiring as far back of the heel-mark toward his own 
goal as he may see fit, and of taking there a place-kick, 
punt, or drop-kick, or he may give the ball to some one on 
his own team for a scrimmage, which is governed by the 
rules of a scrimmage. In case he takes a free kick he must 
send the ball at least ten yards, unless some opponent stops 
the ball. 

Off Side. 

A player is off side when he is between the ball and his 
opponent's goal. If, however, the ball first touches an op- 
ponent, an off-side player is thus put on side. 

A player is 

On Side 

when he is not between the ball and his opponent's goal, 
except, as noted above, in case the ball touches an op- 
ponent. 



On the Foot-Ball Field 435 

When a ball goes 

Out of Bounds 

by cros-sing the boundary line of the gridiron, it is said to 
go *' into touch," and one of the players must immediately 
bring it back to the point where it crossed the line. It is 
then put in play by a member of the side which carried it 
out of bounds, or which was first to capture the ball after 
it crossed the touch line. He may touch-in in bounds at 
right angles to the side line and then kick it, or run with 
it, or he will probably call out the number of paces he in- 
tends to walk in, so as to give his opponents a fair show, 
and then he must take the agreed number of steps ; but the 
distance cannot be less than five yards or more than fifteen 
yards. 

If the player carries the ball across one of the end lines, 
he obtains a touch-down at the spot where the ball after be- 
ing carried over is held. Any player on his team may now 
bring the ball out, making a mark by a twist of his heel on 
the line as he walks. When a point is reached which he 
considers best suited to his purpose, he places the ball for 
one of his own team to kick while the opponents retire be- 
hind their goal line. 

When the progress of the game has advanced the ball 
to a point within kicking distance of the goal, it is an open 
question whether it is best to take a drop-kick at goal or 
make an effort to carry the ball across goal. If the latter 
play is successful it is a touch-down and entitles you to a 
try-at-goal ; but when no score is made by a drop-kick on a 
first down inside the twenty-five-yard line the ball can be 
brought out for only a ten-yard kick-out, which means that 
your side can line up at ten yards. 

This compels the players guarding the goal to kick-out 



436 



Atthtmn 



practically within their own goal line. From this it may 
be seen that the running attempts or drop-kick must be 
wisely chosen at this point of the game in accordance with 
the relative risk and gain, but all these problems should be 
studied on the field. 

At any time a player may kick, pass, or carry the ball 
across his own goal line and touch it down there for 
safety. This scores two points for the other team, but his 
side may take the ball out to the twenty-five-yard line and 
there have a kick-out. He may punt the ball or take a 
drop-kick or a place-kick. 

Much has been said and written on the different plays 
in the modern game of foot-ball, and pages have been de- 
voted to the proper manner of making one move in the 
game. When I lately visited Princeton and Yale to study 
the game I found the men devoting 
their odd moments to experiments and 
practice on 




Place-kicking. 

We have already seen that a place- 
kick is made after the ball is placed on 
the ground. In the accompanying 
sketches Figs. 365, 366, 367, and 377, it 
will be noticed that the player on the 
kicker's side is holding the ball with 
the lower end just off the ground (Figs. 
365 and 377). As long as it continues 
in this position it is not "in play." 
The moment the ball touches the 
ground it is " in play," and the enemy lined up on their 
goal line will charge and block the kick, if possible. 



Fig. 377. — A Place -kick. 
View looking down on 
players' head. 



On the Foot-Ball Field 437 



The Formation 

is to a great extent governed by the plays to be made, but 
as a general rule the seven rushers stand in line of battle 
facing their opponents. Just behind the rushers stands 
the quarter-back, and a few yards in the rear of him the 
two half-backs are placed; while a dozen yards farther 
back, alone in his glory, the full-back guards his precious 

goal.* 

The Toss-up. 

If a strong wind is blowing the winner of the toss-up 
takes the side favored by the wind, and the other team 
have the kick-off. If there is no wind to speak of, and no 
great advantage in either goal, the winner of the toss-up 
chooses the kick-off, and the other side have the choice of 
goals. 

Lining Up. 

The two teams now line up in their respective positions, 
and the ball is placed upon the exact centre of the field by 
the side having the kick-off. 

As a rule the full-back is a good kicker and is selected 
to open the game. 

To the right of the ball on the line stands right-guard, 
alongside of him is right-tackle, next to him is right-end, 
then comes right half-back and quarter - back, while 
stretched out on the line to the left of the ball are the cen- 
tre, left-guard, left-tackle, left-end and left half-back. All 
these sturdy men are ready to rush upon their opponents 
the moment full-back's toe touches the ball. 

As the rules require the opposite side to stand at least 

* Lately there is a tendency to make full-back do more work, and he is often 
seen playing in mucla closer proximity to the others. 



438 AMhtmn 

ten yards back of the middle line, they form themselves in 
a sort of rough triangle so as to be able to guard the whole 











D 








a 






D 


D 


D 


D 

n 








•A 












• 



D 



Fig. 378. — The Rounds are about to open the game by a kick-off. The Squares are 
ready to receive the ball and the rushers. 

field and stop the ball with the least possible waste of time. 
At the required ten yards back of the centre line, centre of 
the opposing side is posted, back of centre stand the two 
guards, back of them the two tackles with the quarter-back 



On the Foot-Ball Field 439 

between them, behind them the two half-backs are stationed 
with full-back " plugging the centre " in front of his goal. 
There are no rules for placing the men on the field, and the 
formation here given may be, and is, altered to suit the 
ideas of the different captains of the various teams. 

The player selected to kick the ball must send it at 
least ten yards into the opponent's camp, and it is usually 
sent as much farther as the judgment of the kicker directs. 
It is not expected that half-grown boys will play the game 
as scientificall}'- as the college experts. When a boy 
makes a kick-off his judgment usually tells him to kick the 
ball as far as possible. When the ball comes sailing over 
into their ranks the enemy catch it and either return it by 
a kick or one of them runs Avith the ball. 

The Scrimmage. 

Now when the player made the kick-off he calculated 
that the rushers on his side could reach the ball in time to 
prevent the enemy making much headway with it, and the 
enemy calculated to interfere in all lawful ways with the 
kick-off's rushers. If the enemy who holds the ball starts 
for a run, the men on the other side tackle him and down 
he comes. Just as soon as the player and ball are brought 
to a standstill the runner cries " down." Then someone 
on the runner's side, usually the fellow called snap-back or 
centre-rush, places the ball on the ground at the spot where 
it came to a standstill, and the ball is put in play by the 
snap-back kicking it or snapping it back, generally with his 
hand but sometimes with his foot, to the quarter-back of his 
own side, who has taken a position just behind snap-back. 
Up to this moment the men of each team have kept their 
positions upon their own side of the ball, but as soon as the 
ball is put in motion both sides may press forward and the 



440 Autumn 

scrimmage commences. Quarter-back, when he receives 

the ball quickly passes it back to half-back or full-back who 

runs with or kicks it. 

When 

A Snap-back 

is to be made the boys arrange themselves in the following 
manner. Centre has the ball (squares in Fig. 379), back of 
J-] him stands quarter - back 

□ □ ready to receive it, and still 

|-| r-j farther in the rear is full- 

back with left half-back and 
r-i right half-back little in ad- 

vance, and flanking them 
□ n D D D ^^^ either side a short dis- 

^ ^A^A^^ft A tance farther in advance. 

are the two ends. Each one 
of the five is ready to re- 
^ ceive the ball from quarter- 

back according to the sig- 
nal. Centre is flanked upon 
each side by the two guards 
% and two tackles, and the 

Fig. 379. -Lined up for Snap-back. The fiye faCC their OppOUCntS, 
Squares have the ball. ^^ ' 

who are lined up with their 
centre in the middle, and the two guards, two tackles, two 
ends, and two half-backs standing on their relative sides of 
centre forming the line, while a short distance behind cen- 
tre stands quarter-back, and still farther in the rear full- 
back. (Black dots in Fig. 379.) 

After looking over Fig. 379 a college friend recommends 
the following changes in the formation: Bring the five 
squares up much closer to the front line and place them 
farther apart. Place the quarter-back of the black dots 



On the Foot- Ball Field 441 

close behind the centre of his own side. Move the full- 
back of the black dots to a position just behind the quarter- 
back, and place the two half-backs of the same side just 
behind the ends. All this is a matter of choice to be gov- 
erned by experience, and each side is formed according to 
its captain's ideas on the subject. 

As soon as the ball is put in play there is a general 
rush ; those on the side of the ball surround the runner and 
try to force their way through the ranks of their oppo- 
nents. When snap-back has sent the ball behind him, he 
has placed the men in his own line between the ball and the 
enemy's goal off-side. The men on -side have the best 
claim to right of way, and the rules of the game only allow 
the off-siders in this case to use their bodies to obstruct 
their opponents, while the on-siders may use their hands 
and arms to open a passage for themselves, but they are 
not allowed to catch hold of their opponents. 

It can readily be seen that one side might keep the ball 
for a long time with no material benefit to themselves, but 
the possibility of this "dog-in-the-manger" act is prevented 
by a rule which says that a side not making five yards 
toward the opponent's goal or retreating twenty yards 
toward their own goal, in three downs or efforts to ad- 
vance the ball must give the ball to the other side. 

Such a surrender seldom occurs, because if after two 
attempts to advance the ball there appears to be no chance 
of making his distance the player may kick the ball in so 
savage a manner that it will go sailing away down field. 



CHAPTER XXXVII 
GOLF, HOCKEY, AND SHINNY 

Row to Lay Out Golf Links and Play the Game — Explanation of the 
Terms Used in the Game— How Hockey and Shinny Are Played. 



The King and Parliament decided in 1457 that the 
Scotchmen and bo3's were neglecting archery to play golf, 
and so decrees were issued against the 
game, and that settled the matter. But not 
in the way the wise rulers intended, for the 
Highland game of cluich-dhesog increased 
in popularity until it became the national 
game of Scotland. In the reign of Edward 
III. they called it " cambu^e ; " but we know 
it as plain golf, the most fashionable game 
in the United States, as it was on the other 
side of the Atlantic at the beginning of the 
seventeenth century, when Prince Henry, 
James I.'s son, plaj^ed golf. Golf is a game 
that any boy can learn to play, and one in 
which he can soon excel his father, big 
brothers, or uncles, for the reason that how- 
ever skilled the older people may be they 
have all taken the game up since it became 
popular and had no kindergarten training. 
A boy's limbs are supple, and, best of all, he has no fear of 
being awkward or undignified ; consequently he goes at 




Fig. 380.— Case 
Golf Clubs. 



for 



Golf, Hockey, and Shinny 



443 






Figs. 381, 382, 383, 384, 385, 386 and 387, — A B and E, are different points of views 
of a man in full swing ; C is a front view after the stroke is made. From in- 
stantaneous photographs. 

such a thing as golf heart and soul, and soon swings his 
stick with a grace and accuracy that make him the envy of 
the older players. Golf is 

A Simple Game. 

Starting from the tee the object of the player is to land 
a small ball in a hole a hundred or more yards distant, and 
to do it with as few strokes of the golf clubs as possible. 
The player who reaches the hole with the fewest number 



444 Atitumn 

of strokes is said to win that hole, and the player who wins 
the most holes wins the game. Nothing could be more 
easily understood 

The Links. 

Many of the best links in Scotland are laid out where the 
soil is sandy and the grass sparse and stiff. Such links, as 
the course is called, dry quickly after a rain, and the ball 
is easily played and seen in the scanty tufts of wiry grass. 
The course in this country for the regulation game is rarelj^ 
over three miles long, and shorter courses can be laid out 
for informal work and practice. The reader must not un- 
derstand that the links are to extend in a straight line. On 
the contrary, it is much better to have them wind about and 
end somewhere near the start. By carefully planning the 
curves a golf course may be made to occupy comparatively 
limited grounds. 

Somehow in the evolution of the game it has become a 
rule to make eighteen holes constitute a full course. In 
America, however, comparatively few courses possess over 
nine holes, and good practice and entertainment can be had 
upon a course with even a fewer number. 

The starting-point is called 

The Teeing-ground, 

and is marked by two whitewash lines at right angles to 
the course, forming a parallelogram wdth the side lines of 
the course five or six yards in length by two or three in 
breadth. Within the parallelogram the player places his 
ball upon a 

Tee 

or small hill of sand or earth from a half to three-quarters 
of an inch hisfh. 



Golf, Hockey, and Shinny 



445 




Figs. 



and 389. — Cans for Golf 
Holes. 



The Holes 

are about four inches in diameter (Figs. 388 and 389), and 
are lined with iron, and the ground for seven or eight feet 
on all sides is more level than the 
rest of the course and is known 
as the "putting green." A 
tomato-can, sunk in the earth, of 
course, so that the top is even 
with the turf, makes a good hole 
for boys' links. They are placed at distances varying from 
three hundred to twelve hundred feet apart, and are marked 
by little red flags which are removed when the player ap- 
proaches. 

Now since a match game, as a rule, consists of thirty-six 
holes, eighteen holes gone twice over give the required 
number ; so will nine holes gone over four times, or six 
holes six times, or four holes nine times, or three holes 
twelve times. So you see that if your ground is limited 
you need have but three, four, six, or nine holes, and the 
fewer the holes the fairer becomes the game for strangers, 
because in going over them so often they learn the ground 
and that puts them on an even footing with the home 
players. 

The Golf Clubs 

are something like our old-fashioned shinny sticks in shape 
but modified and better made, as the ball must be driven 
more accurately and much farther, and often from difficult 
"lies" or positions. They are known as wooden and iron 
clubs according to whether the heads are made of wood or 
iron. There are a great variety of them, but the beginner 
does not need more than four or five. The driver, a large 



446 



Atttitinn 



club with a long shaft and wooden head, is used when the 
ball is on the tee, and the boy will find that with a little 
practice he can with this club send the ball a hundred 
yards, while an experienced player will cover nearly twice 
this distance. The brassie resembles the driver, but, as its 




name implies, its head is protected with a brass plate, and 
it can be used when the ball lies favorably on sod or in the 
open ground. The cleek and lofter both have iron heads, 
the former being best suited to drive the ball low and far, 
and the latter to. " loft " or lift the ball over obstructions. 



Golf, Hockey, and Shinny 



447 



In addition to tiiese the clubs most often seen are the putter, 
for " putting " the ball into the hole, though many expe- 
rienced players prefer the cleek, viashies of various sorts 
resembling the lofter, but with a shorter iron, the niblic, etc. 

The Ball 

used in regulation games is made of gutta-percha and is 
about two and three-quarter inches in diameter. Any hard 




Fig. 400. — Golf Ball (natural size 



ball will answer for a boy, and with a course of three or 
four holes he can play with his driver until his skill entitles 
him to a more complicated kit. 

Hazards 

are all objects which interfere with the play of the ball. 

A Bunker 

is a hazard in the form of a sand-pit, a stone wall, or ridge. 
The course between the holes should be free of long grass, 
sticks, and stones, with only the roads, walls, and ditches as 



hazards. 



But the more hazards there are alongside of the 



448 



Atdunin 



course the more fun there is, for every bad play is punished 
by placing the ball in a position that will test the players' 
patience and skill to extricate it. 




Fig. 402.— Feet Too Wide Apart 
in Top View. 



Fig. 401. — Feet Correct in Side 
View. 



A game of singles is when two persons, each with a ball 
of his own, play against each other. One of foursomes is 
when two partners play against two other partners, each 
side having a ball and the partners pla3ang alternately. 

Expert Players 

often play against two, three, or more players, and this is 
called three-, four-^ or five-ball matclies. 

When a number of pla)^ers play in pairs and score for 
each other it is called a score play. 



Golf, Hockey, and Shinny 449 



Shinny. , 

tn this game the only preparation necessary is to procure 
a shinny stick. One of hickory or ash, with a curve at one 
end like the hook of an old man's walking-stick, is the best ; 
but any sapling of tough wood with part of the root left on 
for a hook makes a good shinny stick. If the game is on 
the ice and you search the border of the pond for a club, 
be careful that you keep your hands off the white poison 
sumach that grows in such localities. Otherwise you will 
rue the day as with swollen face and closed eyes you learn 
the effects of vegetable poison on the skin. 

The wooden bung from some barrel takes the place of 
the elaborate golf ball. On the ice, however, a rubber ball 
is better and much less dangerous. In place of plaid suits 
and Scotch wool stockings, rolled down from the top to 
show the gaudy yarn border, the ordinary every-day dress 
is worn. 

The Game Itself. 

Two goal lines are settled upon, and two captains are 
selected, who choose sides in the ordinary way. The bung 
is placed midway between the goals, and the players are 
stationed to suit the captain or themselves. At the call of 
time both captains struggle with the crooks of their shinny 
sticks to obtain control of the bung so as to be able to 
knock it goalward. After the bung is in play anyone may 
strike it who can, but woe be unto the lad who, in his anx- 
iety to hit the bung, gets on the wrong side of it. " Shinny 
on your own side ! " is the warning cry, and unless the 
warning is obeyed a pair of black and blue shins will record 
the time he got on the wrong side of the bung to strike a 
left-handed blow. Each goal is a game, and as many games 



450 



Auhmin 



are played as suits the players. The side A strive to knock 
the bung over the goal behind the side B ; the Bs do their 
best to prevent this, and to knock the bung over the goal 
guarded by the As. On the ice it is not only exciting, but 
beautiful to see the long racing stroke of the skater, the 
short quick turn, and the backward glide to avoid a col- 
lision ; but it is unfair to start a game on a crowded pond, 
as it practically drives the other pleasure-seekers ashore, 
and compels them to give up their sport. 

Hockey 

is practically the same as shinny, differing in immaterial 
points. In this game the bung is called the " hockey," the 
shinny sticks, hockey sticks ; and the captains, in place of 

scuffling over the ball at 
the call of time, toss up 
for choice of first chance 
at the hockey. The 
winner at the call of 
" play " strikes the hoc- 
key with his club, and it 
is the business of his an- 
tagonist to strike it back 
again as soon as it reach- 
es the ground, and the 
game consists of this al- 
ternate striking the hoc- 
key backward and for- 
ward. The side that suc- 
ceeds in forcing the 
hockey over the goal line 
guarded by their oppo- 
FiG. 403.— Hockey. ncuts wins the game. 




Golf, Hockey, and Shinny 451 

The great similarity of the games of " hockey " and 
shinny * offers no excuse for adopting the latter as an 
American game, for shinny was played by our fathers 
and grandfathers in America, and we claim it as our 
own, allowing those across the water the privilege of call- 
ing their game hockey. 

* Shinny originally was a Highland sport and went by the name of cluich-bhal, or 
camanachd, and was played to the music of bagpipes. 



ttJitttcr 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 
TURTLE HUNTING 

Methods of Capturing " Snappers " and Terrapin Described — The Im- 
plements Necessary and Where to Search. 

Winter is here, but genuine winter weather with snow 
and ice has not yet arrived. Knee-deep in the woods the 
brown leaves rustle, and with every wind whirl around in 
russet eddies, filling up the yawning crevices between the 
gray rocks. The gray squirrels and the chipmunks are 
busy digging among the leaves for acorns and nuts for 
their winter store. 

In the water the bass will no longer be tempted from 
their hiding-places by fly or bait, but the voracious pickerel, 
though he may ignore the spinning spoon, will bite greedily 
at live bait. Overhead the whistling wings of the wild duck 
send a thrill down the sportsman's back. The jutting logs 
where the turtles were wont to sun themselves during the 
hot summer days stand out now bare and unoccupied. 

Where are the turtles? Have they emigrated with the 
summer birds or have they buried themselves in the mud 
peacefully to sleep away the cold winter, as our forefathers 
believed that the swallows were wont to do ? 

This is a practical age. If any one tells us that turtles 
bury themselves in the mud we will investigate and see 
if it be true. If our forefathers had done the same they 
never would have believed that the swallows were guilty 



456 



Winter 



of passing the winter in such a stupid manner, or that 
geese were hatched from barnacles, or any other of the 
fairy stories that made up the natural histories of their da)-. 

As a boy I have 
dug frogs from the 
bottom of streams in 
mid winter, and was 
not inclined to doubt 
that turtles might 
pass the cold weath- 
er in the same man- 
ner. Still, before 
adopting that belief 
I made up my mind 
to investigate the 
subject. One raw, 
bleak day I sallied 
forth with a pole one 
end of which was 
armed with an iron 
hook (Fig. 403) and 
the other with an 
iron spike. A gen- 
tleman well known among naturalists accompanied me, and 
led me to the haunts of the "snappers." Flowing through 
a wide pasture was a small creek with rather high banks. 
Along the edge we walked until we came upon the stump 
of an old tree. 

Hooking Turtles. 

Here my guide paused and asked me to see if there was 
not a turtle there. Following his directions I prodded the 
earth beneath the roots of the old stump, and a foot or two 




Fig. 404.— Turtle Hunter and Turtle Stick. 



Ttivtle Hunting 457 

below the surface struck something hard, I could tell by 
the " feel " that it was neither stone nor wood. Hastily re- 
versing my pole I thrust the iron hook into the jaelding 
soil, and, working it under the hard object, found little dif- 
ficulty in unearthing a very large and exceedingly angry 
old " snapper," I think that with little labor we could have 
filled a wagon with turtles of all sizes from under the shores 
of that little Ohio creek, and among them were some veri- 
table monsters. But our mission was not one of extermina- 
tion, and after securing four for our host we returned in 
triumph and placed the great gasping monsters on the lawn 
to be admired by our friends. 

I left that evening, but learned that the four turtles made 
a splendid soup and supplied a never-failing topic of con- 
versation, as it was again and again related how the man 
and boy took two broomsticks into the pasture, were gone 
but a short time, and returned with more turtles than the 
farmers thereabouts would see in a summer. 

Terrapin Hunting. 

Everyone on the Atlantic coast has either read of or 
seen the "diamond backs" that are prized so highly by 
people who are fond of rich and expensive dishes. It was 
a sorry day for this race of turtles when they became a 
fashionable article of food, for they have been hunted ever 
since. On Long Island they are found and captured in the 
manner described for " snappers," but the pole is armed with 
a trowel or paddle-shaped blade in place of the spike, and 
the other end has a stiff wire loop bent out at right angles 
from the rod in place of the iron hook. A damaged ter- 
rapin will not bring as much money as a perfect one, and 
the wire loop is less liable to hurt the terrapin's feet and 
legs. It is claimed that wounds cause ugly warts to grow 



458 



IVinter 



upon the injured parts, which make them less desirable 
in the market. 

Like their fresh-water relatives, terrapins upon the ap- 
proach of winter leave the broader water, and, following 

the small inlets and 
ditches at the head 
of the creeks, bury 
themselves in the 
black salt - meadow 
mud. To hunt them 
you should have 
long rubber boots, a 
rod as described, 
and an old sack for 
a game-bag (Fig. 
405). Thus arrayed 
sally forth and look 
for signs. Experi- 
ence will soon teach 
you to recognize the 
terrapin's tracks and 
to follow them up to 
the spot where he 
has taken a " head- 




FiG. 405, — Terrapin Hunter and Terrapin Stick. 



er" into the mud. There you prod for him until the shovel 
end of your pole strikes his hard shell. Then 3^ou use the 
pole to shovel away the mud and the loop with which to 
fish him out. 

Terrapin over half a foot in length are called by the 
trade "counts;" those less than a half foot and more than 
five inches " short counts ; " females under five inches are 
heifers ; large females are " cows," and males " bulls." 

There are only a few men who are aware of the existence 



Ttirtle Hunting 459 



of '' diamond backs " as far north as New York, and fewer 
still who know where and how to hunt them, and these few 
try to keep their occupation a secret. There is no reason 
why boys should be debarred from this sport, and a good 
catch will supply cash enough to buy fishing-tackle galore 
for next Summer's campaign. 



CHAPTER XXXIX 
ON THE ICE 

Plain and Fancy Skating — Begin to Learn Young — Cutting a Circle — 
The Spread Eagle — The Bull Frog— The Grapevine Garland — The 
Danger of " Follow the Leader." 

Small feet have tested the strength of the ice morning 
after morning, until at last the boys hail each other with the 
joyous cry of " The ice will bear! " 

Old skates come rattling down from their perch on the 
top shelves of the closets, the dust is wiped off, and the 
sharpness of their runners tested by boyish fingers. 

What a thrill used to run through the scholars in the 
little frame " Academy " at my " old Kentucky home," when 
some bov announced, " Lickingf will bear!" Which, being- 
translated, meant that the muddy stream called the Licking 
River had frozen over and that the ice was thick enough to 
bear the weight of a boy. 

When at last the Saturday holiday arrived, with what 
feverish haste we ate our breakfast, even begrudging the 
time taken to consume our food. Ah, those were glorious 
days ! In imagination now I can hear the musical notes 
made by the vibrating ice under the weight of a crowd of 
merry boys as with glad shouts we glided over the glassy 
surface of the river. 

Sometimes even the conservativ^e and busy Ohio River 
would suspend all business and close its doors of ice. At 



On the Ice 



461 



such times the flat boats, barges, and steamboats would lie 
helpless and idle along the shores, their only use being 
that of a resting-place and shelter for skating parties. I 
then thought that when a person reached an age when he 
no longer cared to skate, it was time for him to die. This 
opinion, like many others of my boyhood, is being gradually 
modified. 

Little Danger. 

While we older fellows look on the reader may stand on 
one foot and flinging out his other spin like a top. 

And if he falls little harm is done ; his bones are not 
brittle and his body is light. 



Keep Your Hands Out of Your Pockets. 

The only dangerous falls come from skating over sticks, 
leaves, chips, bits of paper or similar objects which sud- 
denly stop the swiftly gliding feet, bringing 
the upper part of the body down with a bang 
upon the ice. Even under these conditions 
serious results seldom follow a fall unless the 
skater has his hands in his pockets. The 
writer still bears scars that testify to the truth 
of this statement. 

When to Begin. 

The boy should begin skating as soon as 
he can procure skates small enough to fit his Fig. 406.— Danger 

Ahead 

little feet. In Friesland, Holland, the babies 
learn to skate as soon as they are able to toddle, and they 
are expert skaters by the time they are six or seven years 
old. Indeed, in America, small boys generally do begin 
when they can get a skate of any size. One skate satisfies 




462 



Winter 



them at first, and if they are lucky enough to have access 
to two the other one is usually loaned to a comrade. 

The Old Wooden Skate. 

Thirty years ago the old skates that fell into the posses- 
sion of the small boy were unique in pattern. Fastened 
to a bright red wooden foot-piece was a long, straight run- 
ner which ended in a spiral of steel that curved gracefully 
up over the toe and terminated in a beautiful brass acorn. 
The skates were fastened to the feet by heel- and toe-straps. 
The toe-straps crossed, sandal fashion, over the toe, ran 
across the instep through two iron rings in the heel-strap 
and back again to the buckle. A sharp spike held the shoe- 
heel in place. With one of these acorn skates bound on one 
foot, the straps tightened by sundry' chips and sticks thrust 
between them and the shoe, the small boy 
was happy as he glided down the frozen 
gutter on one foot. 

Christmas came and in the bulging 
stocking there was more than likely to be 
a pair of small skates with screw heels and 
broad toe- and heel-straps. These were 
usually about an inch or one-half of an 
inch longer than the foot, to allow for the 
boy's growth. On the screw-heels the 
boy learned plain forward skating suffi- 
ciently well to be able to play tag and shin- 
ny on the canal, river, or pond. 

The third stage in his career was when 
his older brother, father, or uncle present- 
ed him with a beautiful pair of club skates, with no straps 
of any kind. 

When the glittering club skates were locked on his feet 




Fig. 407. — The Old 
Brass Acorn Skate. 



On the Ice 



463 



his ambition began to grow and he was soon to be seen 
experimenting on the more difficult feats in skating. His 
efforts were now directed to 

Cutting a Circle. 

This is one of the first figures learned by beginners, and 
although it requires a small amount of outer-edge skating, 
it is learned before 

any serious attempts \J)>M^A 

are made at master- 
ing the latter art. 
To begin you strike 
out on the left foot 
with the body lean- 
ing toward the left, 
the centre of the 
proposed circle. 
When the weight of 
the body is on the 
outside edge the 
line described by the skate runner will be a curve directed 
outward (Fig. 408). As soon as you find that you can 
continue on that stroke no longer bring the right foot 
quickly forward and down. This last must be a short 
stroke of only sufficient duration to give you time for an- 
other outer-edge stroke with your left foot. At first you 
will make a very large circle, but gradually as you " catch 
the knack of the thing " you will be able to contract the 
ring to smaller dimensions. When you have mastered the 
left-foot circle, try it on the right foot and practise it until 
you are able to go either way with equal speed and grace. 
It is great fun to have a crowd of seven or eight bo3'^s on 
one circle, each trying to go faster than his fellows. 




Fig. 408. — Cutting a Circle. 



464 Winter 



The Backward Circle. 

This, when learned, is easier than the forward ring, for 
the push stroke is made with the toe. When going back- 
ward great force can be given to the toe-push stroke by 
slightly lifting the heel. 

To cut the circle backward you must simply reverse 
your forward movement. 

No boy can learn to skate by reading these suggestions ; 
he can only obtain hints that will help him when he attempts 
the different figures described. The only way to do any- 
thing is to DO IT. 

Put on your skates and try, and while trying sooner or 
later the feat will be performed. The best assistance is 
obtained in watching fellow-skaters further advanced than 
yourself in the art. 

After you have perfected yourself in cutting the circle 
forward and backward, to the left and to the right, the other 
more difificult motions will suddenly lose their awe-inspir- 
ing qualities, because in acquiring the simpler figures you 
have unconsciously gained control of your muscles. The 
muscles were all there before, but as they had never been 
called upon to perform the work they were designed for, 
when you gave your first command they rebelled. Your 
foot would not go as you directed it and you thought your- 
self awkward. Awkward you were, but an awkward boy 
is a boy who has not trained his muscles, and a graceful lad 
is one whose muscles have been disciplined to act as he 
directs. 

Now stand up on your skates and assert your authority 
over your rebellious muscles, tell them that you intend to 
be a skater, and to begin with you expect them to help you. 



On the Ice 



465 



To Skate Backwards. 

Work or skull yourself along any way, until you are able 
to detect the proper moment and proper manner of giving 
the strokes. This accomplished, you may call yourself a good 
plain skater. 

The Spread Eagle 

is one of the first steps in the advance from plain to fancy 
skating. Even when well done it lacks the elements of 
grace, but it is most excellent practice to render the limbs 
supple and make other more graceful tricks possible ; and 
it is a favorite performance of boy skaters. 

How to Perform the Feat. 

You must skate straight away until you have gained 
sufficient headway, then at the end of the last stroke turn 
the toes out so that the runners of your skates make a 
straight line heel to heel, one skate following the other. In 
this position you will glide over the ice until the momen- 
tum first gained is exhausted. At first the 
beginner will be only partially successful, 
but gradually he will be able to describe 
a wide circle forward, and in a little while 
gain sufficient control of his feet to slide 
across the skating pond in a straight line 
(Fig. 409). 

The Spread Eagle Backwards 

will be found more difficult, for it ne- 
cessitates turninsf the toes out until the 7 Fig. 409 — The strad- 

» _ -J die-bug. 

point backward. In performing this last 
feat it is no easy matter to keep your balance, but per- 
fection comes with practice, and soon the boy who de- 




466 



Winter 



votes time to practice will excite the admiration of his com- 
rades by the ease with which he turns either forward or 
backward. During- his practice the beginner 
will undoubtedly bend his knees, as shown in 
(Fig. 409), but after he has reached that point 
of ex'cellence where his whole mind need not 
be centred on his feet, he may learn gradually 
to straighten his legs until at last he can do 
the spread eagle forward and backward with- 
out looking like a straddle bug (Fig. 410). 

The Bull Frog. 

This consists of a circle cut by skat- 
ing spread-eagle forward and by making 
a succession of leaps. When the writer 
was still a boy of fourteen or fifteen 
years, it was considered the best of fun 
for five or six boys to group themselves in the centre of 
the skating pond or river and do the " bull frog." The 
sight is comical and certain to win applause and laughter, 
but no novice need attempt it. Like the clown's " drop 
act," described in the chapter on " Stilts," the " bull frog " 
requires practice to learn. 




Fig. 410.— Spread Eagle 
in Proper Form. 



How the Bull Frogs Jump. 

Spread your toes out spread-eagle fashion. Then leap 
into the air by raising yourself first on your toes and 
then springing from them. This is done all in one move- 
ment. The slightest possible inclination to the right 
will cause you to move in that direction ; and the di- 
rection your toes point, will cause you, in a succession of 
leaps, to describe a circle, the novelty of which appeals to 



On the Ice 467 

all boys. A more graceful and equally novel ring can 
be made without lifting your skates from the ice. This is 
called 

A Spread-Eagle Circle, 

and it is cut by spreading the feet as in the " bull-frog." 
But in place of leaping the skater must learn to keep his 
feet moving, first the right foot forward and the left foot 
back, then the left foot forward and right foot back, always 
with toes turned out spread-eagle fashion. When properly 
done this motion will cause the skater to glide around in a 
circle, his feet moving in a most bewildering manner while 
they weave a pretty grape-vine pattern on the ice called 
(Fig. 411) 

The Grapevine Garland. 

The momentum needed in order to cut this figure is ac- 
quired by a slight push with the toe at each movement of 
either foot, and as the feet are never lifted 
from the ice, the push is imperceptible to 
the observer, and the motion unaccount- 
able to many old skaters, few of whom 
seem to know the garland figure or spread- 
eagle circle. 

When you are able to cut all the fig- 
ures and skate as described in this chap- ^^^ 411— TheCrape- 

^ vine Garland. 

ter, it is safe to leave you alone. Soon 
the "double roll," the " single and double grapevine," the 
" outside and inside edge " will be familiar and easy feats 
for you to perform. As for the 

Outside Edge, 

in cutting the circle you have learned the secret of main- 
taining your balance while leaning outward on either foot, 




468 



Winter 



Fig. 412. Fig. 413. Fig. 414. 



and it is only necessary to make this stroke first with the 
left and then with the right foot and you will find yourself 

sailing- along in the most ap- 
proved outer-edge style. You 
have learned to trust to your 
ankle and the sharp edge of 
your skate for support, and 
the real battle is over. 
Beware of 



Air-Holes. 




Fig. 412. — Outside Edge. 

Fig. 413. — Spread Eagle Backward. 

Fig. 414. — Spread Eagle Forward. 



In every group of boys 
there are a few hare-brained, 
foolish fellows who are contin- 
ually getting themselves and 
their playfellows into trouble, often of a most serious nat- 
ure. A favorite method pursued by these would-be he- 
roes is to start a game of 

"Follow the Leader," or "I Conquer," 

on the ice. Of course the would-be brave boy elects him- 
self leader and the others must follow. The only difference 
between Follow the Leader and I Conquer is that when an 
act is performed by the leader in the first case he calls out, 
in a bantering tone, "Follow the leader!" In the second 
he tosses his head with an impudent air and exclaims, " I 
conquer ! " This is meant as a challenge to the others^ but 
the others must remember that the danger is apt to increase 
in proportion to the number of boys in turn. The leader 
skates along and jumps an air-hole, shouting, " I conquer! " 
The ice is weakened by his jump and it is more and more 
dangerous for each succeeding boy who jumps. 



On the Ice 



469 



The Tickly-Bender, or Running Tommie. 

The leader finds a weak place in the ice which is called 
a " Tickly-bender," and skating over it cries, " I conquer! " 
If the other boys are green they follow him. With each 
succeeding boy the ice bends more and more until at last 
one boy breaks through, often with fatal results. For the 
late leader, when confronted by real danger, cannot be de- 
pended upon to risk much in order to rescue his unfortunate 
follower. Skating over a " tickly-bender " in Yankeedom is 
called " Running Tommie." If any of my readers like the 
excitement of " Running Tommie," let them choose ice where 
there is not more 
than one or two feet 
of water underneath, 
and even then the 
danger of wet feet, 
frozen clothes, a bad 
cold, and a well-de- 
served lecture at 
home ought to fur- 
nish excitement 
enough to satisfy 
them. 

The really brave 
lad does not adver- 
tise that quality by 
engaging his com- 
panions in a sport 

that brings all the /| fig. 414 a.— Shinny. 

danger to his followers, but he is first to act v/hen a com- 
panion needs assistance ; and it is to such a boy's cool head 
and "nerve" that many a rattle-brained lad owes his life. 




CHAPTER XL 

STUNNING MUSK-RATS AND FISH 

Sport for Boys on Skates when the Ice is Thin and Clear — How Cat- 
fish and " Suckers " are Stunned and Captured. 

After the first freeze, and while the ice is still trans- 
parent but thick enough to support 3^our weight, if you 
visit the mill-pond where you know that musk-rats abound 
you are pretty sure to be able to frighten them from their 
holes in the bank to the water. The poor rodents seem to 
forget that ice has formed over their pond, and they can 
be plainly seen and followed by the skaters who, armed 
with axes, strike the ice above the fleeing rat. 

A Hard Blow 

on the surface of the ice stuns the creature underneath, and 
a few quick blows with the edge of the axe open a hole 
from which the half-stunned animal may be fished, and 
thrust into a bag brought for the purpose. A frightened 
musk-rat can make a severe wound with his long, chisel- 
like teeth, so care must be taken to grasp the captive 
around the throat and hold him in that position until he is 
safe in the bag, A tame musk-rat has no more desire to 
bite than a tame dog. 

Some boys kill the rats as they are taken from the water 
and preserve their skins, which have a market value ; but 
most of the lads enter into the sport for the fun and excite- 



stunning Musk-Rats and Fish 471 

ment of the chase, and either free the animals after they are 
captured or turn them over to some companion, who may 
in time sell enough of their skins to secure the price of a 
good pair of the latest model of skates. 




Fig. 415.— Stunning Musk-Rats. 

Stunning Cat-fish. 

We used to go '* stunning cats " on the same ponds in 
which we hunted the musk-rats, but the sport was not 
nearly as exciting, for the cat-fish were numb with cold and 
made but feeble efforts to escape. Still a good string of 
these black-mustached fish brought with it a certain feel- 
ing of satisfaction that all sportsmen can understand. 



472 Winter 

We never bothered to carry an axe for " cats," but 
skated around with big stones in our hands, which we let 
drop on the ice just over the spot where the fish rested. 
The concussion caused the fish to turn belly up. Then the 
ice was broken with the same stone and the fish taken out. 

This was in the Ohio valley, but there are both cat-fish 
and musk-rats in ponds scattered over a wide area of our 
country, and the sport will have the same attractions in the 
mountain ponds of Pennsylvania as in the muddy ponds on 
the bottom lands of the Ohio River valley. 

I never heard of skaters in New England hunting musk- 
rats or cat-fish ; but there are many New England boys 
who keenly enjoy the chase and capture of that comical, 
big-headed fish, whose pouting lips have given it the name 
of "sucker." 

Stunning "Suckers." 

These sturdy little New England lads, with their skates 
dangling over their backs, and armed with sucker-clubs, 
as they call the short bludgeon they carry, and an axe or 
hatchet, may often be seen sallying forth after the first 
freeze. The time they select is when the sucker stream has 
a new coating of fresh, transparent ice. If you should ask 
them where they were going, the cheery reply would come 
back, with Yankee accent, " Going a-stunning suckers." 

The hunting " ground " that is selected is usually a shal- 
low stretch of water not more than from six to twelve inches 
deep. Here the bo37S scatter themselves over the thin ice, 
which bends under their skates in an alarming manner and 
protests against the excursion with the peculiar musical, 
half-smothered, booming noise familiar to all skaters on new 
ice. It seems as if they were gliding stealthily over the 
unfrozen surface of the water. So clear is the ice that each 



stunning Musk-Rats and Fish 473 



leaf and stick that is dislodged from its resting-place by the 
current is as distinctly seen as it floats beneath them as if 
no ice intervened. 

Hist ! A boy in mid-stream spies his prey lying diag- 
onally across the current, with just sufficient movement of 
tail and fin to keep his position. Watch the sucker-club 
now as it rises over the lad's head and comes down on the 
ice with 

A Resounding Blow- 
that sends the cracks radiating out like a sunburst from the 
small hole where the water from below oozes, like life-blood, 
through the ice. The tail and fins of the fish have ceased 
to move, and his white vest may be seen, as with his dark 
back to the bottom and white belly upturned, he slowly 
floats down stream. 

The shout of triumph which accompanied the blow of 
the sucker-club was not necessary to attract the attention 
of the boy with the hatchet. A few quick strokes of his 
skates bring him to the spot, and the keen, cold blade of his 
weapon soon makes a hole in the path, but below the stunned 
sucker. The fish is not dead and frequently escapes if the 
axe boy lacks judgment. When the hole in the ice is not 
cut in the proper place, or too much time is allowed to 
elapse, the fish recovers from the shock of the blow, and, 
although at first he may swim slowly, he usually manages 
to escape. Few, however, evade the trained hunter when 
once he has struck the fatal blow. 

This sort of fishing possesses one great advantage over 
the ordinary pastime. When you are out stunning suckers 
you select only such fish as you want, passing the little 
ones by. When you see a New England sucker hunter 
raise his club you may know that an old "• buster " is in 
sight; otherwise the fish would be passed without notice. 



474 Winter 



Caution to Beginners. 

Don't become excited and strike too hard. If you do, 
you may smash the thin ice and do no damage to the fish, 
but splash the cold water in your own face and be laughed 
at by your playmates. 

A "Buster" 

weighs from a pound to a pound and one-half in most places, 
but in such rivers as the Housatonic and Naugatuck real 
" busters " weigh from five to six pounds. In poorer streams 
from fifteen to fifty pounds of fish are not an uncommon 
catch. 



CHAPTER XLI 
SNOW-BALL BATTLE AND SNOW TAG 

The Rules of Snow-ball Battle — How Rome and Carthage is Played in 
Cuba — The Ingenious Game of Snow Tag. 

The two selected captains toss up in the usual manner 
for first choice of men. Then alternately, as in a spelling 
bee, each chooses a soldier until all are taken. Two taw 
lines are then drawn about thirty feet apart, and two flag- 
staffs with colored handkerchiefs for flags are erected in each 
camp. To bear the enemy's flag to your own camp, that 
is, over the taw line, wins the victory for your side. Tack- 
ling is allowed, as in foot-ball, and is limited by the same 
rules. No boy bearing the mark of a snow-ball on chest or 
back is allowed to take further part in the game, as he is 
considered to be a dead soldier, but the dead soldiers may 
coach their comrades as often as they please. No trip- 
ping, no striking, no ice balls, and no " soakers " (wet snow- 
balls) are allowed, as the object of this battle is to win, not 
to hurt or injure, a playmate who in the next game may be 
fighting at your side. 

Rome and Carthage. 

In Cuba the little insurgents play this game, using In- 
dia-rubber balls in place of snow-balls, and having only 
one flag. This is in a fort which the attacking party try to 
capture. Each boy hit with a ball is considered dead, but 



476 Winter 

if he catches the ball he can hurl it back and continue the 
fight. This Cuban ball-game closely resembles the snow- 
fort game described in *' The American Boy's Handy Book ; " 
but the barrel-top shields that are used by the besieging 
party of the snow fort are unknown in the Cuban game. 
They call the game Rome and Carthage. 

Snow Tag. 

Often in travelling through the Northern States when 
the deep snow covered the ground I have noticed strange 
circular, or rather wheel-shaped, patterns made of paths in 
the snow. It was never my fortune to see anyone walking 
in these paths, and as the form of the pattern made it im- 
possible for the paths to lead anywhere, their use was a 
problem that I could not solve. Use they evidently had, 
for some were many feet in diameter and must have required 
work and hard work to make, as anj^one who has attempted 
to shovel the snow off his own front walk must know. In- 
quiry at last revealed the fact that these strange circular 
figures were m.ade by the boys for Snow Tag. 

How to Play the Game. 

Count out for " It " as in I Spy or ordinary tag. While 
" It" takes his place at the hub of the wheel the other 
players scatter around the circumference or rim, and the 
word " ready " is given. " It " then darts out one of the 
" spoke " paths and endeavors to tag some one of the other 
boys, and the fun begins. Two cannot pass each other on 
the narrow paths, and the fleeing boys often step on each 
others' heels, trip and tumble head first into the deep snow, 
forming an easy pre}^ for " It ; " but again the lads will dance 
around in a most provoking manner, and as " It " darts up 



Snow- Ball Battle and Snow Tag 477 

one spoke toward the rim, the players dart down the other 
toward the hub and show great skill in eluding " It." 

The game can be played in perfection only in very deep 
snow, where the rule against going out of the bounds is en- 
forced by the impossibility of running, or even walking 
with any speed through the snow heaped up on all sides. 
When " It " tags a playmate by holding him long enough 

to repeat 

" Snow Wag, 
Snow Rag, 
Snow Tag ! " 

the boy thus tagged is " It," and takes his place at the 
" hub," and the game is started again when the boys an- 
nounce themselves as ready at the rim. 



CHAPTER XLIl 

THE "GET-THERE" AND DOUBLE-RUNNERS 

Instructions as to How to Build these Famous Sleds— A Safety Double- 
Runner. 

This is the way in which to build the " Get-There : " 
For the runners take a plank one foot wide and a little over 
twice as long as the length of one of the proposed runners 
(Fig. 416, A, B, C, D). From the point B measure upon the 
edge of the board twelve inches, and mark the point E (Fig. 
417). From E measure three feet six inches, and mark the 
point G. From G measure three feet six inches, and mark 
the point I. From A measure three feet six inches, and 
mark the point F. From F measure three feet six inches, 
and mark the point H. With a straight piece of board for 
a ruler, and a soft lead-pencil, rule a line from A to E, an- 
other line from F to G, another line from H to I. On the 
line A E measure nine and one-half inches, and mark the 
point K. From E measure three and one-half inches, and 
mark the point J. Take a saw and saw from E to A along 
the line E A. Saw again through the line F G, and again 
through the line H I. You will now have two runners of 
the form shown by Figs. 417 and 418. 

Again take the saw, and, beginning at J, saw off the piece 
K E J. Then with your jack-knife round off the top as 
shown by Fig. 419 at L, and the bottom as shown at M. 
The dotted lines show the part whittled off. 



The '' Get -There'' and Double- Runners 479 



Fig. 416. 



Fig. 417 






— a«* 



3'6'l^ 




Fig. 418. 



Fig. 419. 



Fig. 420. 




From the point 
F measure along the 
edge of the runner 
three and one -half 
inches, and mark the 
point O. Measure 
two and one - half 
inches farther, and 
mark the point P. 
Measure twelve 
inches farther, and 
mark the point Q. 
Measure two and 
one-half inches more, 
and mark the point 
R. Again take the 
saw and saw down 
one inch at R, Q, P, 
and O, and with a 
chisel cut out the 
wood between Rand 
Q and between P 
and O, as shown in 

Fig. 419. With your jack-knife cut off the corner at G. 

Go through the same process with the second runner, and 



Fig. 421. 




Working Plans of the "Get-There" Sled. 



480 IVinter 

see that one is an exact duplicate of the other. Next make 
two braces, each one and one-half foot long, one inch thick, 
and two and one-half inches wide. Fit the braces in the 
notches R Q and P O, and fasten them in place with good 
screws or wire nails. 

Take a piece of plank one foot six inches wide and one 
inch thick, and saw off a piece four feet six inches long for 
a top-board. Saw out a triangle in the front end as shown 
by the dotted lines in Fig. 420. With )^our knife round the 
sides of the triangle, as shown by the solid lines in Fig. 420. 
Trim off the rear end first, as shown by the solid line, and 
then gradually whittle it to the form shown by the dotted 
lines in Fig. 420, which represents the top with the runners 
on each side of it. 

The Runners, 

of course, are not spread out as shown by Fig. 420, because 
you have already nailed on the stretchers so that they 
must rest upon their edges, but the diagram is drawn with 
them flat upon each side so as better to show the propor- 
tions of each. 

Fit the top-piece over the runners and nail it in place, 
and you have a good serviceable sled that only needs a 
visit to the blacksmith's shop to make it a better one than 
you usually find for sale at the toy stores. 

At the blacksmith shop have your sled shod with what 
is called half-round irons, and after a little work on the snow 
has put a polish on the iron you will find that it will earn 
the name of " Get-There" (Fig. 421). 

The Double-Runner, or Bob Sled, 

as it is frequently called, possesses many advantages over 
the long sleds formerly used west of the Alleghany Moun- 



l^he " Get -There'' and Dottble- Runners 481 

tains. The old-fashioned sleds were steered by the boy. in 
front kicking Avith his heels on the frozen snow, or the boy 
at the stern by dragging one foot behind as a rudder. This 
answers very well for a sled of the dimensions of the " Get- 
There," but when the sled is seven, eight, or ten feet long, 
and loaded underneath with pig iron to give it weight, the 
boy in front who steers has a difficult and exceedingly dan- 
gerous task, especially if the hill is steep and icy ; and it is 
next to impossible to steer such a craft from the stern by 
dragging one foot behind. 

The double-runner is much lighter and very much easier 
to steer on account of the front sled being arranged so that 
it can be moved independently of the rear sled, for a turn 
to the right or the left causes the " bob " to take the direc- 
tion indicated by the front runners ; but double-runners 
steered with a wheel, lever, or j^oke in front are very dan- 
gerous, as the steersman, in case of an accident, is thrown 
against the steering apparatus, usually with serious results. 

The safety double-runner does away with this danger by 
having a bridle with which it is steered. It also does away 
with the danger of collision by having an automatic brake 
that will stop it, in times of danger, within the distance of 
its own length. These are qualities which will be appre- 
ciated by all who "slide down hill," as we called it when I 
was a lad, or who are fond of coasting, as our school-readers 
called it then, and as everyone calls it now. 

How to Build a Safety Double-Runner. 

Make four good runners after the manner described for 
the " Get-There," but make these runners not over six 
inches high, thirty inches on the top edge, and with more 
rake to the bow and stern (Fig. 422). Next make eight 
braces, each fourteen inches long, one inch thick, and two 
31 



482 



IVijiter 



and one half inches broad, and mortise the ends as shown 
by the dotted lines in Fig-. 423. At a point three inches 

from the rear top end of the 



^r^ ^t"^ 



RUNNER. 



BRAce, 




x; 






tNLARGEP VIEW OF KIIM&PIN 



1^3 t© 



Figs. 
422, 

423. 



424. 



425. 



426, 

427, 
428, 

429. 

430. 
431- 



runner, measure off on the 
top edge three inches, then 
two and one half inches, and 
mark the points. Eight inches 
in front of the last point make 
another mark and measure 
two and one half inches again, 
and mark it. Now set the 
runner upon its bottom edge 
and fit your braces on the 
two - and - one -half-inches 
-marks, and with a pencil trace 
upon the top edge of the run- 
ner the outlines of the mor- 
tise. 

Saw out the lines so that 

Fig. 432. 




•OP-V1E.VY OF DOUBLE.KUiywEl^ 

Fig. 434. 
Working Plans for the Construction of Safety Double-Runner. 



The " Get -There'' mid Double -Rtmners 483 

the braces will fit neatly in the notches, as shown in Fig. 424. 
The braces should be of good ash wood, free from knots, and 
must be fastened to the runners with good long screws, the 
holes for the latter being carefully bored with a gimlet. 

For a top-board cut out a piece of board one inch thick, 
fourteen inches wide, and thirteen inches from front to rear. 
Fasten the top-board securely to the runners over the braces 
with screws (Fig. 425). 

Find the centre of the top-board by ruling a line from 
each corner, as shown by the dotted line in the top view, 
Fig. 425. The centre of the top-board and the spot in which 
to bore a hole for the 

King-pin 

is placed where the diagonal lines cross each other. The 
king-pin is of iron, with a rounded head and with threads 
on the other end to hold a nut in place. Fig. 428 shows the 
pin and the nut proportional to the size of the sled, the dia- 
gram. Fig. 429, shows an enlarged view of the king-pin. 

The Reach-Board 

is the long board that forms the top for the double-runner. 
Each sled has a top-board of its own, but the board that 
joins the two sleds and upon which the passengers sit we 
will call a reach-board. This should be free from knots, of 
strong elastic wood, sixteen inches wide, an inch thick, and 
as long as )'^ou ma}^ desire the " bob" to be. In the one we 
are describing it is eight feet long. 

It is evident that if we fasten the reach-board to the top 
of the two sleds with nails it will be as difficult to steer as 
the big sleds we spoke of at the beginning of this description ; 
and if we fasten it directly to the top of the first sled by the 
king-pin the friction in turning will be too great. To obvi- 



484 IVinter 

ate this, make, of oak, a bench-block, fourteen inches long 
by four inches wide by one inch thick, and, finding the cen- 
tre by the intersection of the two diagonal lines, as you did 
with the top-board, make a hole for the king-pin (Fig. 426). 
Place the bench on top of the sled exactly in the centre of 
the top-board and see that the two king-pin holes fit exactly 
one above the other, and that the ends of the bench are even 
and flush with the sides of the sled. Then securely fasten 
it in place with good long screws or bolts. Make a second 
block, now, of good oak, about nine inches long by three 
inches broad by two and one-half inches thick, bore a hole 
for the king-pin through the centre of it and trim it down 
to the form shown by Fig. 427. This is the reach-board 
block, and must be securely fastened to the reach-board by 
bolts. Fig. 432 shows the elevation, that is, side view of 
king-pin, bench, and block all in place. Fig. 434 shows a 
top view. Of course the reach-board, from this point of 
vie\v, will hide all underneath it, but in this case we must 
pretend that the X rays have been turned on and the dotted 
lines show the skeleton underneath. 
Now for 

The Back Sled, 

which, of course, it is supposed, was put together at the 
same time as the front one, and is an exact duplicate of it. 

We need for the back sled a bench-block fourteen inches 
long, four inches wide, and three inches thick. Lengthwdse 
through the centre, from end to end, bore a hole for the 
stern-pin (Fig. 430). After this is done make two side- 
blocks, one inch thick and a little broader than the bench- 
block (Fig. 431). Bolt the bench-block to the rear of the 
back sled and fit the reach-board on for trial. Mark the 
spot where the side-blocks are to go and bolt them securely 
in place. On the rear sled, in the side view, the bench- and 



The " Get -There'' and Double -Runners 485 



side-blocks are shown in place. The dotted lines show the 
bench-block behind the side-blocks. The stern-pin is similar 
to the king-pin but runs crosswise in place of perpendicu- 
larly. It is also fastened with a nut and washer at one end, 
while the rounded head holds it at the other end. 

If the rear sled is allowed to have too much freedom it 
will wrench itself loose at the first obstacle it strikes. To 
prevent this attach a small chain or strong cord to each 
runner and to the bottom side of the reach-board, as may 
be seen by a glance at the elevation and plan of back sled 
(Fig. 432). The cord is shown by dotted lines on the plan 
or top view (Fig. 434). 

The Automatic Brake. 

From a nasty glance at the plan and elevation this may 
appear to be rather intricate and difficult to understand ; 
but with the exercise of a little patience you will see that it 
is ver}^ simple. There is a block against which a pin is kept 
by a spiral spring. A peg through the pin near the after 
end keeps the spring in place, and a staple, screw eye, or ring, 
behind the peg protects it and supports the brake-pin. A 
similar ring supports the forward end of the pin and keeps 
the spring confined between the two. There is a small in- 
dentation in the block to receive the end of the pin (Fig. 433). 
Any boy can see that a chain looped over the end of the pin, 
after the manner of the one shown in the two views (Figs. 
432 and 434), will drop to the ground when the pin is pulled 
forward, and when it falls to the ground it will be directly in 
front of the rear runners. The latter cannot go far with a 
bunch of chain under each runner, and the whole thing will 
stop even when the headway is something extraordinary. 
To loosen the brake the boy in front simply puts his foot 
against the end of an iron rod that has one end bent over 



486 IVinter 

to receive the foot. A push on this pulls the picture wire- 
cord that runs from it to the end of the brake-pin. To 
bring the brake within reach of the steersman's foot two 
of those brass bell-cranks that all bell-hangers use when 
they have to turn a corner with their bell-wire, are neces- 
sary. These cranks are fastened at their middle to the bot- 
tom of the reach-board, while the wire picture-cord con- 
nects them with the brake-pin and the bolt at the side of 
the reach-board. The bolt is made exactly on the princi- 
ples of a bolt for a door, but one end of this bolt has a hole 
through it to hold the wire, and the other end is bent into 
a crook as a rest for the foot. 

Safety Reins. 

A foot-rest for the bow man is made of ash, and extends 
at least ten inches upon each side of the reach-board, to the 
bottom of which it is securely fastened. In each end of 
this foot-rest there is a pulley-wheel, as shown by the dotted 
lines. Across the top of the front runners a brace is securely 
fastened to which the bridle is attached. The bridle runs 
through the blocks or pulleys at the end of the foot-rest. 

With the bridle in his hands and the automatic brake 
ready for instant operation, the steersman may coast down 
what are considered dangerous hills, and feel that there 
is no great peril. Should an obstacle, such as a wagon, a 
horse-car, trolley, or steam-car, suddenly appear, one push 
of his foot drops a loop of chain in front of the rear runners 
and his safety double-runner will stop almost within its own 
length. If too sudden a stop unseats the steersman, he sim- 
ply slides off, for there is no dangerous wheel, yoke, or helm 
in front for him to be thrown against. 

It is not to be supposed that the reader is to make all 
the iron -work for the safety double -runner. This the 



The '' Get -There'' and Double -Runners 487 

blacksmith can do, and if the expense is greater than one 
boy feels disposed to stand, remember that this sled is built 
to accommodate a number of boys, and a club can be formed 
which will make the expense very light. Your brake-chain 
should have large links, but not necessarily very heavy ones. 
It must be fastened with a ring-bolt at each end to the bot- 
tom of the reach-board. The runners of the sleds should be 
shod with half-round irons, and everything made with the 
idea of strength in view. Use bolts in place of screws 
wherever it is practicable. The sled will not be found ex- 
pensive, and if well built, it will last long enough to be used 
by two or three generations of boys. 

Load your double-runner with a crowd of jolly fellows 
and start down the hill. May you enjoy the ride with that 
keen pleasure which only youth and health can feel. The 
longest hill has its foot, and the faster you coast the sooner 
it will be reached. 

We have gone through four seasons of fun together, and 
although we have not seen each other, we have worked 
together over kites, boats, and sleds, and now, as we coast 
on our new bob-sled, it is with feelings of regret that I find 
we have at length reached the bottom of the hill and 



THE END OF THE BOOK. 



INDEX 



Aerial fish and dragons, 90 
American Game of Three, the, 299 
Angle-worms, 115; the work they 
do, 116; how to collect, 117; 
varieties of, 118; how to keep 
them healthy, 118; how to bring 
them out of their holes, 1 1 9 
Aparejo, the, 384 

Aquatic sports, 1 51-155; boating- 
clothes, 151 ; how to make a bath- 
ing-suit, 152 ; sunburn, 152 ; clothes 
for canoeing, 1 54 ; stick to your 
boat, 154; life-preservers, 155 



B 



Bait, live and dead, 11 5-144; angle- 
worms, 115; the work angle-worms 
do, 116; how to collect angle- 
worms, 117; varieties of angle- 
worms, 118; how to keep angle- 
worms healthy, 118; how to bring 
worms out of their holes, 119; hell- 
gramites, bogerts, hojacks, dobsons, 
or clippers, 120-123; white grub- 
worms, 123 ; gentles, or young blue- 



bottle flies, 124; trout bait, 125; 
katydids, 125 ; black crickets, 125 ; 
grasshoppers, 126, 127; lampreys, 
127 ; habits of lampreys, 128 ; how 
to catch lampreys, 129; how to 
keep lampreys, 130; frogs, 130; 
how to bait a live frog, 131 ; how 
to catch frogs, 131 ; red flannel 
frog-bait, 133 ; how to keep frogs, 
133; live minnows, 134; how to 
catch minnows, 135, 136; how to 
construct a minnow bucket, 135 ; 
how to keep minnows alive, 136; 
crawfish, 137; miscellaneous bait, 
137, 143-144; looking-glass bait, 
137-139; bottom bait, 139; dead 
bait, 140 ; how to pick up a live 
eel, 140; how to skin an eel, 140; 
eel-tail bait, 140 ; how to keep eels 
for bait, 142 ; skittering, 142 
Ball, games of : Town-ball, 336 ; One 
or Two Old Cat, striking out, or 
feeder, 341 ; House-ball, 341 ; Hand 
Up, 342 ; Bailie Callie, 343 ; Crack- 
about, 344 ; Over the Barn, House 
Over, or Haley Over, 344 ; Stool- 
ball, 345 ; Corner-ball, 345 ; Black 
Baby, 346 ; Roily Poly, 348 ; Hat- 
ball, 349 ; see also Foot-ball 



490 



Index 



Bailie Callie, 343 

Ballista, the Boys' Baby, how to make, 
391-395 ; the shells, 394 

Bathing-suit, how to make, 152 

Bees : honey-bee messengers, 234- 
237 ; the box of bees, 234 ; how to 
make and write the message, 235, 
236 ; how to handle the bees, 236 ; 
how to make your key, 237 ; how 
to avoid bee stings, 237 ; a bee's 
stinger, 238 

Bicycling, 365-373 ; baggage and how 
to carry it, 365 ; a photographic 
outfit, 366; a naturalist's outfit, 
367 ; as to punctures, 369 ; how to 
rig a jury handle-bar, 369 ; a rope 
tire, 370 ; cleaning and repairing 
rack, 371 ; a bicycle stand, 372; 
a night parade, 373 

Black Baby, 346 

Black Man, 286 

Black Tom, 285 

Blow-guns, 395-401 ; to make a tar- 
get, 398 ; blow-gun parachute, 400 

Boats and boating, 156-221 ; nauti- 
cal terms defined, 156-164, 165- 
169, 171, 174; red and green lights, 
157; how to steer a boat, 163; 
how to sail a boat, 164-166; to 
sail close-hauled, 166 ; what to do 
in a thunder-storm, 171 ; to reef 
without lowering sail, 172 ; to reef 
or square knot, 173 ; to shake out 
a reef, 173; lights for canoe, 174; 
some " do nots," 174; rigs of all 
kinds for small boats, 176-186 ; the 
cat, 176; the sloop, 178; racing 
sloops, 178 ; jib and mainsail, 178 ; 
schooner rig, 178 ; the balance lug, 



1 79 ; the standing lug, 1 80 ; leg- 
of-mutton sail, 180 ; the buckeye, 
180; sliding gunter, 183 ; sharpies, 
183; the sprit leg-of-mutton sail, 
i 84 ; the dandy jigger, or mizzen 
rig, 184; the lateen rig, 185; the 
ship, 186; a "rough-and-ready" 
boat, how to build and rig it, 187- 
196; how to make and reef the 
sail, 195, 196; rafts that will sail, 
197-212 ; how to make a Man-Fri- 
day raft, 198 ; the sail, 201 ; the 
keelig, 202 ; a home-made catama- 
ran, 203-210; single shells, 213- 
216 ; checks or cracks, 213 ; cause 
of upsets, 214; delights of a shell, 
214; how to stand up in, land from, 
and embark in a shell, 215, 216; 
the umbrella canoe, 216-221 

Bogerts, 122 

Bowlder On ; or, Duck on a Rock, 327 

Bowls, 329 

Bull in the ring, 301 

Buoys, keeled, towed by kites, 51 



Cabinet, how to make a, 229 
Camping out, 377-390 ; how to make 
a fire in the rain, 377 ; building a 
fire without matches, 378 ; select- 
ing a camping-place, 379 ; a birch- 
bark torch, 381 ; a sleeping bag, 
384; the famous diamond hitch, 
384 ; the aparejo, 384 ; how to 
make a cinch, 388 ; cooking uten- 
sils, 390 ; food, 390 
Canoeing, 1 54 ; lights for canoe, 174 ; 



Index 



491 



Ozias Dodge's umbrella canoe, 216- 
221 

Cat ; see Tip Cat. One or Two Old 
Cat ; see Ball 

Catamaran ; see Boats and Boating, 
or Rafts 

Caterpillars, 222, 224 

Choosing the master, 324 

Choosing up and " It," 245-251 ; 
" which hand is it in ? " 245 ; " Pick- 
'er up, Wipe'er off, and Stone 
holder," 246 ; " Last one over is 
It," 246 ; short straw, 247 ; " Han- 
dy, Dandy, Riderly, Ro," 248 ; 
" Whole fist or four fingers," 248 ; 
" Odd or even," 249 ; " Heads or 
Tails," 250 ; " Wet or Dry," 250 

Cinch, how to make the, 388 

Collectors, hints for, 222-233 ; prac- 
tical value of study of insects, 223 ; 
popular classification, 223, 224 ; 
life of caterpillars, 224 ; differences 
in insects, 226 ; preserving speci- 
mens, 226-229 ; how to make a 
cabinet, 229 

College cries ; see Cries 

Corner-ball, 345 

Counting out rhymes, 252-263 

Cow-boys, or cattle rustling, 292 

Crackabout, 344 

Crawfish, 137; how to keep alive, 

137 
Crickets, black, 125 
Cries of various kinds, 407-418; 

" Hello," 408 ; " Tally-ho," 408 ; 

war-cry of wild tribes, 409 ; the 

Rebel yell, 409; " Coo-ee," 410; 

" yaqui,"4io ; small boys' call, 41 1 ; 

" Whoo-ah ! " 41 1 ; " Mee-ma Red 



Eye," 411; "Oh," 412; " Lil," 
"Track," "Way!" 412; " K-e-e 
yoy! Hoo ! Hoo ! " 412; College 
cries: Princeton, 413; Yale, 413; 
Harvard, 413; Cornell, 413; Will- 
iams, 414 ; Trinity, 414 ; Wesleyan, 
414; Brown, 414; Colorado, 414; 
Leland Stanford, Jr., 414; Dart- 
mouth, 414; Union, 415 ; Uni- 
versity of Illinois, 415 ; Hanover, 
415 ; Westminster, 41 5 ; Cornell of 
Iowa, 416 ; Amherst, 416 ; Boston 
University, 416; Cumberland Uni- 
versity, 416; Rutgers, 417 ; Roch- 
ester University, 417 ; University 
of Washington, 417 ; Hobart, 417 ; 
Syracuse University, 417; Univer- 
sity of Pennsylvania, 417 



Den of Wild Beasts, 288 
Diamond hitch, the, 384 
Dick's Hat-band, 317 
Dixie's Land, or Yank and Johnny 
Reb, 289 



Eels, how to pick up alive, 140 ; how 
to skin, 140; eel-tail bait, 140; 
how to keep eels for bait, 142 



Fire, building in the rain, 377 ; build- 
ing without matches, 378 

Fishing, common-sense precautions 
in, 145-148 ; nature as a teacher, 



492 



Index 



146 ; why and how fish are easily 
frightened, 145 ; effect of fisher- 
man being seen, 147 ; trolling with 
a spoon, 148 ; a word about fly- 
fishing, 148 

Fish stunning, 471-474 

Foot-an'-half, 31 1 

Foot-ball, 428-441 ; antiquity of the 
game, 428 ; points of the game, 
430; the ball, 431 ; the field, 431 ; 
the teams, 432 ; the kicks, 433 ; in- 
touch, 433; a fair catch, 434 ; the 
heel-mark, 434 ; off side, 434 ; on 
side, 434 ; out of bounds, 435 ; 
place-kicking, 436 ; the formation, 
437 ; the toss-up, 437 ; lining up, 
437 ; the scrimmage, 439 ; a snap- 
back, 440 

Four fingers, 24S 

Frogs as bait, 130; how to bait a 
live frog, 131; how to catch a frog, 
131 ; red flannel frog-bait, 133 ; how 
to keep frogs, 133 ; how to preserve 
dead frogs or minnows, 143 



Gentles, or young blue-bottle flies, 
124 

Golf, 442-448 ; antiquity of game, 
442 ; the links, 444 ; the teeing- 
ground, 444 ; the holes, 445 ; the 
clubs, 445 ; the ball, 447 ; hazards, 
447 ; a bunker, 447 ; expert players, 
448 

Grasshoppers, 126; a grasshopper- 
box, 127 



H 



Haley over, 344 

Hand up, 342 

" Handy, Dandy, Riderly, Ro," 248 

Hat-ball, 349 

" Heads or Tails," 250 

Hellgramites, 120, 121 

Hockey, 450 

Hojacks, 122 

Home, 279 

Hoops and wheels, 95-98 ; old and 
new fangled hoops, 95 ; how to 
trundle a wheel, 97; tin-can cover, 

97 
Hop-Scotch, 354, 360 ; the Potsherd, 

356 
House-ball, 341 
House over, 344 
Hunkety, 305 



I 



Indian games, adapted for boys, 
419-427 ; squaw, saddle-bags, or 
sky shinny, 419-422 ; mandan 
ring, 422-427 ; how to make a 
tchungkee, 423 ; leather barbs, 423 

I spy, 304-309 ; hunkety, 305 ; kick 
the wicket, 307 



Jack's alive, 320 

Jack and the candles, 323 

Jack-stones, 360-364 



Index 



493 



K 



Katydids, 125 

Kick the wicket, 307 

King's X, 281 

Kites, 46-94 ; kite time, 46 ; kites for 
practical uses, 47 ; pulley and 
weight kite, 48 ; steering kites, 49 ; 
attached to a wagon or sled, 50, 
51 ; keeled buoys towed by kites, 
51, 52; kites for sails for small 
boats, 53 ; kites for swimming, 54 ; 
runaway kites, 55 ; belly-band, 55 ; 
a team of eight kites loose, 56 ; a 
runaway's experience, 56 ; kite 
tows a plank, 57 ; notes to Nep- 
tune, 57 ; messengers up the kite- 
string, 58 ; high fliers, 59 ; the 
Hargrave kite, 60-64 ; double and 
triple kite, 64 ; how to make 
compound kites, 64 ; triple Malay 
kite, 64 ; kite-string, 65 ; Malay 
kites, 6"] ; how to make a tailless kite, 
68 ; how to make a Woglom kite, 
69; Holland kite, 69; Mr. Eddy's 
kite, 70, 71 ; seven kites in tandem, 
71 ; how to make wing and wing, 
72-74; tail and belly-bands, 74; 
a " dancing bear," 75 ; a tandem, 
76 ; the best tandem arrangement, 
^^ ; tailless kites the best, ^^ , 78 ; 
" Cannibal kites," 79-85 ; a Chi- 
nese butterfly kite, 86 ; the McAdie- 
Hammon California barrel kite, 
87-89 ; paper dragon or fish for 
kite -strings, 90; pennants, 92; 
comical figures, 92 ; a live man 
kite, 93 



Lampreys, 128; habits of, 128; how 
to catch, 129; how to keep, 130 

Lariat, the, 401-406 ; how the raw- 
hide lariat is made, 402 ; how to 
make a boy's lariat, 403 ; how to 
throw the rope, 404 ; the lariat on 
horseback, 405 

" Last one over is It," 246 

Leap-frog, 310-319; "giving a back," 
311 ; foot-an'-half, 311 ; par, 314; 
Spanish fly, 314; torchlight, 314; 
"hats on deck," 315; "hats full 
of water," 315 ; hats in the water, 
315; effect of bad names, 316; 
Dick's hat-band, 317 

Life-preservers, 155 

" Lil ! Lil ! over the Hill ! " 294 



M 

Man-Friday ; see Boats and Boating, 
or Rafts 

Marbles, 3-36 ; terms used in the 
game, 6, 7 ; the right spirit, 8 ; 
knuckle dabsters, 8, 9 ; a marble 
bag, 9; whom to play marbles 
with, 10; how marbles were first 
made, 1 1 ; marbles in America, 
II, 12; made abroad nowadays, 
12 ; local names of marbles, 12, 13 ; 
how marbles are made, 13 ; com- 
mon marbles, 14; the alley, 15; 
the China and plaster, 1 5 ; the 
Bumbo and Peawee, 1 5 ; crystals, 
15; the lucky taw, 16; cunny 
thumb or scrumpy knuckled, 16 ; 



494 



Index 



Southern and Arabian way of 
shooting, 17, 18; Fat, "Yank," 
and other games of marbles, 19; 
stand-up marbles, 21 ; " foUerings," 
22 ; the art of badying, 23 ; knucks, 
24 ; the long ring, 25 ; Patterson, 
26 ; gambling games, 26 ; the bull- 
ring, 27 ; sneaking or dribbling, 
29 ; duck-in-a-hole, 29 ; king duck, 
30; Meg-in-a-hole, 31 ; Meg-on-a- 
string, 32 ; what counts, 33 ; In- 
jun, block, or square ring, 34 

Minnows, as bait, 134 ; how to catch, 
135, 136; a minnow bucket, 135; 
how to keep minnows alive, 136; 
how to preserve dead minnows, 143 

Mumbly peg, 350-354 

Musk-rats, stunning, 470 



N 



Nautical terms and expressions de- 
fined, 156-163, 165-169, 171, 174 
Nine- and ten-pins, 328 



o 



" Odd or even," 249 

Old Bloody Tom, Black Tom, or 

" Pull Away," 285 
Over the barn, 344 



Par, 314 

" Pick'er up, wipe'er off, and stone- 
holder," 246 
Potsherd, the, 356 
Potter, Humphrey, 4, 5 
Prisoner's Base, 287 
" Pull Away," 285 



R 



Rafts, for sailing, 197-212; a Man- 
Friday, 198; the deck, 198; the 
sail, 201 ; the keelig, 202 ; a home- 
made catamaran, 203-210; a Tom 
Thumb catamaran, 210-212 ; dan- 
ger of false pride, 212 

Red Ogre, the, 297 

Rigs of all kinds for small boats ; see 
Boats and Boating 

Roily Poly, 348 

Rome and Carthage, 475 



Saddle-bags, 419-422 

Sail, how to make and reef the, 195, 
196; of a raft, 201 

Shells, single, 213-216; checks or 
cracks, 213; cause of upsets, 214; 
how to stand in, land from, and 
embark in, 215, 216 

Shinny, 449 

Short straw, 247 

Skating, 460-469 ; keep your hands 
out of your pockets, 461 ; when to 
begin, 461 ; little danger, 461 ; old 
wooden skate, 462 ; cutting a cir- 
cle, 463 ; the backward circle, 464 ; 
skating backward, 465 ; the spread- 
eagle, 465 ; how to perform the 
feat, 465 ; the bull-frog, 466 ; 
spread-eagle circle, 467 ; grapevine 
garland, 467 ; outside edge, 467 ; 
air-holes, 468 ; " Follow the leader," 
or " I conquer," 468 ; the Tickly- 
Bender, or Running Tommie, 469 ; 
stunning musk-rats and fish, 470- 
474 



Index 



495 



Skittles, 329 ; bowls, 329 ; British, 329 ; 
in China and Persia, 330 ; Brick, 
331 ; Fours, 331 ; Dutch Pins, 331 

Sky shinny, 419-422 

Sleds, 478-487 ; the " Get-there," 
478-480 ; the runners, 480 ; the 
double-runner, or bob-sled, 480 ; a 
safety double-runner, 481-487 

Sleeping-bag, a, 384 

Snow-ball battle, 475 ; Rome and 
Carthage, 475 

Snow-tag, 476 

Spanish Fly, 314 

Spirit tortoise, and dead turtle, 321 

Squaw, 419-422 

Stilts, 102-1 14 ; how to make stilts, 
102, 103 ; Tom's wooden legs, 102 ; 
hand stilts, 103 ; a short-lived tri- 
umph, 105 ; stilts of the Japs, 105 ; 
tattooed stilt-walkers of the Mar- 
quesas, 106 ; anti-gadabouts, 107 ; 
shepherds on stilts, 108 ; best for 
the boys, no; trick stilt- walking, 
no ; skating on stilts, ni ; ocuya, 
or giant dance, 112; new woman 
on stilts, 113; tomato-can stilts, 
114; lath-stilts, 114 

Stool-ball, 345 

Stunning musk-rats and fish, 470-474 

Sucker, the, how to make, 99-101 ; 
leather suckers and live suckers, 
99 ; how to use the sucker, 99 ; a 
live sucker, loi 

Sunburn, 152 

Swimming, 264 et seq. ; how to make 
and use a wooden swimming mas- 
ter, 265-268; hints for the begin- 
ner, 268-271; kicking, 270; the 
breast-stroke, 271 ; the grapevine 



cable, 272 ; the suspension bridge, 
272 ; the chump's raft, 274 ; water 
bladder, 275 ; tub races, 276 ; 
springing boards, 277 ; back som- 
ersaults, 278 



Tag, games of, 279 et seq. ; Home, 
279; King's X, 281; Last Tag, 
283 ; Iron Tag, Wood Tag, Stone 
Tag, and Cross Tag, 283 ; Korun- 
gattam or Monkey Tag, 284 ; Old 
Bloody Tom, Black Tom, or " Pull 
Away," 285 ; " What are you Doing 
in My Vineyard?" or Black Man, 
286 ; Prisoner's Base, 287 ; The Den 
of V/ild Beasts, 288 ; Dixie's Land, 
or Yank and Johnny Reb, 289; 
Tommy Tiddler's Land, 292 ; Cow- 
boys, or Cattle Rustling, 292 ; " Lil ! 
Lil! over the Hill!" 294; Wolf 
and Sheep, 294 ; What time do you 
dine; or, the Brown-eared Wolf, 
295 ; the Red Ogre, 297 ; Amer- 
ican game of Three, 299 ; Bull in 
the ring, 301 

Terrapin hunting, 457 

Tip cat, 332-335 ; how the cat is 
made, 332 ; English cat, 333 ; 
country cat, 334 ; American cat, 334 

Tommy Tiddler's Land, 292 

Tops, 37-45 ; top time, 37 ; home- 
made tops, 38 ; plug in the ring, 40 ; 
get a good string, 40 ; splitting the 
bait top a great honor, 42 ; chip 
stone, 43 ; whip-tops, 44 ; how to 
spin the top, 45 ; fighting tops, 45 ; 
racing tops, 45 



496 



index 



Town-ball, 336 

Turtle hunting, 455-459 ; hooking 
turtles, 456 ; terrapin hunting, 457 

w 

Water, in the ; see Swimming 

" Wet or dry," 250 

" What are you Doing in My Vine- 
yard ? " or Black Man, 286 

What time do you dine; or, the 
brown-eared wolf, 295 



" Which hand is it in ? " 245 

" Whole fist; or, four fingers," 248 

Wolf and Sheep, 294 

Worms; see Angle- worms, 123 



" Zoo," a, for the housetop or back- 
yard, 239-244 ; strange birds on 
city housetops, 239 ; materials for 
a "zoo," 241 



*2 



*4 



LEJa'IO 






